MEMORANDUM

Interested Parties
TO:
Jon Lerner, Basswood Research
FROM:
Conservative GOP Attitudes on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
RE:
May 6, 2013
DATE:

Americans Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Conservative Republicans Among those that Show Strong Support
Comprehensive immigration reform along the lines of the Gang of Eight Senate proposal is widely
supported by the American people, including by conservative Republicans, according to a bipartisan
nationwide survey of likely general election voters conducted by Republican polling firm Basswood
Research and Democratic polling firm Global Strategy Group 1. In fact, there are several elements of the
comprehensive reform package that are more attractive to political conservatives than to anyone else.
Key findings are as follows:
The bipartisan U.S. Senate proposal is widely supported, and by a larger margin among
conservative Republicans than others. A majority of voters nationwide (71% support/20% oppose)
supports a comprehensive immigration reform proposal that includes a pathway to citizenship, allowing
more high-skilled workers and guest workers into the United States, securing the border, and requiring
that employers verify individuals legal statuses before hiring them. Support for this package rises to
roughly three-quarters (74% support/19% oppose) among conservative Republicans.
Support for comprehensive immigration reform makes more voters positively inclined toward
candidates than negatively inclined. While 42% of voters are more likely to vote for a candidate for
Congress who supports comprehensive immigration reform, only 12% say they are less likely to support
such a candidate.
Conservative Republicans are also more likely to respond positively to a candidate who supports
immigration reform (45% more likely /13% less likely).
Conservatives join all other voter segments in rejecting deportation. Voters nationwide far prefer
allowing undocumented immigrants to become citizens after a 13-year period and after meeting several
requirements, such as paying back taxes and passing a background check (72%), to deporting them or
encouraging them to leave the country (20%).
Among conservative Republicans, two-thirds favor citizenship (66%) to deportation (29%).
Border security must go hand-in-hand with a pathway to citizenship. While only one quarter of
voters nationwide (25%) supports providing a pathway to citizenship without a paired effort to secure the
border, a pathway to citizenship earns broad support when coupled with enhanced border security (53%
support only with increased border security). Taken together, this means that 78% of voters support a
pathway to citizenship given certain circumstances.
Coupling border security with a pathway to citizenship is particularly important for conservative
Republicans. While just 13% would support a pathway to citizenship without this provision, an
additional two-thirds (65%) would join in supporting the proposal with improved border security. Only
18% of conservative Republicans oppose a pathway to citizenship under all circumstances.
1

This survey was conducted among 1,232 likely general election voters nationwide between April 20 and April 24, 2013. The
margin of error at the 95% confidence level is+/- 2.8 percentage points.

2
Conservatives find keeping the current system more objectionable than an overhaul the nations
immigration laws that includes a pathway to citizenship. Conservative Republicans are hostile to the
current failed system, as a majority recognizes that the present situation is worse for the United States
than a new system that would provide a pathway to citizenship and secure the border (52% keeping
current system is worse/31% adopting the proposed new system is worse).
In conclusion by large majorities, the American public and conservative Republicans favor the content
of the Gang of Eight proposal, including the pathway to citizenship, particularly because of its provisions
on enhanced border security and its avoidance of amnesty by requiring numerous difficult steps before
citizenship is an option.

TOPLINE RESULTS FOR KEY IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS

As you may have heard, there is a proposal facing Congress to reform the nation's immigration laws.
This proposal would establish a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants presently in the
country as long as they pass a criminal background check, pay a fine and back taxes, learn English, and wait at least 13 years.
The plan would also allow more high-skilled immigrants into the country in technology, science and engineering fields and
create a guest worker program to address labor shortages in industries like agriculture and construction. Finally, the plan would
require a series of increased border security measures before anyone here illegally can apply for citizenship - including greater
enforcement, extended fencing along the border and a requirement that all employers verify the legal status of individuals
before hiring them.
Do you support or oppose this proposal? [IF CHOICE]
Do you feel that way strongly or just somewhat?
VOL:

Total
Con GOP
Strongly support.........................................................................................................................
34%
34%
Somewhat support......................................................................................................................
38
40
Somewhat oppose......................................................................................................................
10
9
Strongly oppose..........................................................................................................................
11
10
(DK/Refused)..............................................................................................................................
8
7

SUPPORT (NET)........................................................................................................................
71%
74
OPPOSE (NET)..........................................................................................................................
20
19

Would you be more or less likely to vote for a

candidate for Congress who supports this
immigration proposal or would it make no difference
in your vote? [IF MORE/LESS LIKELY] Is that much
[MORE/LESS LIKELY] or just somewhat?

VOL:

Total
Con GOP
Much more likely.........................................................................................................................
17%
18%
Somewhat more likely................................................................................................................
24
26
No difference..............................................................................................................................
43
40
Somewhat less likely..................................................................................................................
6
6
Much less likely..........................................................................................................................
6
7
(DK/Refused)..............................................................................................................................
4
2

MORE LIKELY (NET).................................................................................................................

42%
45
LESS LIKELY (NET)...................................................................................................................
12
13

Now I'm going to read you a list of individual immigration proposals. For each, please tell me if you support or oppose that
proposal.
SUPPORT
Strong

Some

OPPOSE

(Ref.)

NET

Some

Strong

(Ref.)

SUPPORT

OPPOSE

93%

8
6

Requiring that employers verify that people seeking jobs

are in the country legally before they can be hired............................................................................................................
71%
19
4
4
2
91%
Conservative GOP

80%

12

Increasing border security, including greater

enforcement and extended fencing along the border, to
prevent future illegal immigration as much as possible....................................................................................................
60%
20
8
8
3
81%
Conservative GOP

82%

13

95%

16
4

3
Now I'm going to read you a list of individual immigration proposals. For each, please tell me if you support or oppose that
proposal.
SUPPORT
Strong

Some

OPPOSE
Some

Strong

(Ref.)

NET

(Ref.)

SUPPORT

65%

Allowing more legal immigrants into the country who

have advanced skills in science, technology, and
engineering....................................................................................................................................................................................
34%
33
12
17
5
66%
Conservative GOP

35%

30

16

16

Providing a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11

million undocumented immigrants presently in the
country............................................................................................................................................................................................
35%
29
12
20
5
64%
Conservative GOP

26%

29

13

28

55%

Allowing more lower-skill legal immigrants into the

country as guest workers in industries that have labor
shortages, such as agriculture and construction................................................................................................................
24%
35
15
23
3
59%
Conservative GOP

Now, if you had the following options for what to do

with the undocumented immigrants in the United
States, which would you prefer?
VOL:

21%

42

12

23

62%

OPPOSE

29
31

32
42

38
34

Total
Con GOP
Allow them to become American citizens after at least
13 years and after several requirements are met
including paying back taxes and passing a criminal
background check......................................................................................................................
72%
66%
Deport them or encourage them to leave the country.................................................................
20
29
(DK/Refused)..............................................................................................................................
8
5

Some people think that we should only support allowing undocumented immigrants to become American citizens if we first
substantially increase border security efforts and homeland security authorities could certify that our borders were secure
against future illegal immigration. Which of these comes closer to your view?
- I support providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants even if we don't increase border security.
- I would only support a pathway to citizenship if it also included substantially increasing border security.
- I oppose providing a pathway to citizenship under all circumstances.
Which of these comes closer to your view?

VOL:

Total
Con GOP
Support pathway, even without increased security.....................................................................
25%
13%
Only support pathway if also increased security.........................................................................
53
65
Oppose pathway under all circumstances..................................................................................
17
18
(DK/Refused)..............................................................................................................................
5
3

SUPPORT (NET)........................................................................................................................
78%
78

Which of these options do you think is WORSE for

the country?

VOL:

Total
Con GOP
Keeping the current immigration system that has
borders that are not secure, allowed 11 million illegal
immigrants into the country with more on the way, and
does little to document those who are here................................................................................
41%
52%
Adopting a new system that provides those here with a
path to citizenship over a period of several years, but
also requires them to pass criminal background
checks, pay fines and taxes, learn English, and go to
the back of the immigration line, all while securing the
borders against future illegal immigration...................................................................................
35
31
(DK/Refused)..............................................................................................................................
25
17