A survey conducted by Gallup reveals that two-thirds of Americans consider immigration a good thing for the country, while 27 percent have some concerns. Gallup’s annual survey of public attitudes about immigration was last month. It asked several questions including whether immigration should be increased, decreased, or remain the same; whether it is good or bad for the country; and whether it makes aspects of our culture better and some social problems worse.
The results show that Americans prefer to see immigration kept at its present level or increased rather than decreased.
To the first question, “On the whole, do you think immigration is a good thing or a bad thing for this country today?” 68 percent stated that immigration is a good thing, while 27 percent consider it a bad thing. That is the lowest percentage of respondents who believe immigration is a good thing since June 2014, when just 63 percent of those polled answered that immigration was a good thing, compared to 33 percent who believed it was a bad thing.
The second question the survey asked to the participants was, “In your view, should immigration be kept at its present level, increased or decreased?” Forty-one percent stated that immigration should be decreased, 31 percent stated that it should remain at its current level, and 26 percent believed that it should be increased.
Gallup also asked respondents how they “perceive the impact immigrants have on the U.S., asking if they make the situation better or worse in each of seven areas.” A majority of respondents, 54 percent, believe that immigrants improve food, music, and the arts in this country, compared to just 14 percent who think immigration makes things worse in these areas.
Thirty-two percent believe that immigrants improve social and moral values; compared to 25 percent who think they make them worse. The effect that immigrants have on the economy is more of a mixed bag, with 39 percent of respondents asserting that immigration makes the economy better, and 38 percent believing it makes it worse.
