Poll: 52 Percent Of Republicans Support Pathway to Citizenship

Despite the discussions about illegal immigration, which can at times be intense, 52 percent of Republicans support a pathway to citizenship. That’s including nearly half of those in the conservative wing of the GOP, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. As with the issue of gay marriage, there is a generation gap on this issue, with 60 percent of young Republicans supporting pathways to citizenship for the estimated 11.3 million illegals living in the U.S. (via The Hill):

Most moderate and liberal Republicans — and nearly half of the party’s conservative members — support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

In all, 52 percent of Republicans said they support a path to citizenship, while 30 percent support the identification and deportation of all illegal immigrants.

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Younger Republicans were also shown to have more liberal views on immigration than their older counterparts: 63 percent of Republicans under 30 support a path to citizenship, compared to only 47 percent over age 65.

This figure is in keeping with Gallup’s poll taken last year, where 50 percent of Republicans supported a pathway to citizenship, which had dropped eight points since 2006; support for rounding them up and booting them across the border rose from 20 percent to 31 percent in that same period. Overall support for illegal immigrants being allowed to become citizens has remained strong at 60+ percent for almost the past decade.