Shock poll: Americans want massive cuts to legal immigrationCutting chain migration even more popular than legalizing Dreamers
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Time | Monday, January 22, 2018
A government shutdown is in the rearview mirror, but the outlines of a looming immigration deal remain murky with the sides still far apart — though the latest polling suggests President Trump’s bargaining position may be strong.
A Harvard-Harris poll taken in the run-up to the shutdown found Americans strongly support granting citizenship rights to illegal immigrant Dreamers. But they also back Mr. Trump’s three demands for a border wall, limits to the chain of family migration and an end to the Diversity Visa Lottery.
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The public may see the issue differently, according to the Harvard-Harris poll of American adults, taken Jan. 17-19.
The survey asked respondents what level of overall legal immigration they would like to see.
A stunning 35 percent said the level should be fewer than 250,000 a year, while another 19 percent said it should be 250,000 to 500,000. Combined, they make up a majority looking for a cut of at least 50 percent over current annual levels. Another 18 percent said they want to see 500,000 to 1 million.
Just 19 percent of respondents said they want an increase over 1 million.
Mr. Trump hasn’t said recently what legal immigration number he wants to see, but he
has been vocal on changing the way the U.S. picks immigrants. He said skills and ability to assimilate in the U.S. should be weighted over extended family ties.
The poll says voters agree by a 79 percent to 21 percent margin.
That is even bigger than the 77 percent to 23 percent margin that supports legalization for Dreamers.
More than 60 percent of voters said current border security is inadequate, and 54 percent said they support “building a combination of physical and electronic barriers across the U.S.-Mexico border.â€
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/22/shock-poll-us-wants-massive-cuts-legal-immigration/