Thursday, December 6, 2012

Midwesterners' Thoughts on Immigration

A public opinion survey published by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs finds a majority of midwesterners who have accurate information about shifting immigration flows and changing labor needs support key immigration policy proposals.

According to Chicago Council Survey data, Americans today are considerably less threatened by immigration than they have been in the past two decades. Despite this trend, midwesterners are split over whether to pursue a comprehensive immigration reform package or an incremental approach (38% comprehensive versus 41% incremental).

The Midwest Immigration Survey Brief released today provides detailed data on the following points:

• Most midwesterners are unaware that unauthorized immigration has declined; a majority of those who are aware support immigration reforms.
• Majorities think most immigrants in the Midwest are here illegally; those know most are here legally favor immigration reforms.
• A majority of midwesterners who recognize local businesses are having a hard time filling high and low skilled jobs support immigration reforms.

The survey brief draws on data from two Chicago Council Surveys that posed questions about immigration and immigration policy. The first survey, fielded May 25 to June 8, 2012, was part of a series of national surveys that the Council has undertaken since 1974. The second was a Midwest-focused survey on immigration fielded August 16 to 27, 2012, as part of The Chicago Council’s independent Task Force on Immigration and U.S. Economic Competitiveness: A View from the Midwest.

Learn more: Midwest Immigration Survey Brief (PDF).

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