WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us today released a new poll commissioned by FWD.us and conducted jointly by Republican and Democratic public research firms showing that there is strong, bipartisan support for legislation that would pair an earned path to citizenship for Dreamers with investments in border security; a huge majority of voters across partisanship support this legislation. Importantly, voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support creating an earned pathway to citizenship for Dreamers: 8 in 10 voters support providing protections for Dreamers, including a majority (52%) who strongly support providing protections.

The poll, conducted before the 5th Circuit decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, also finds that more than 7 in 10 voters support legislation that would create an earned pathway to citizenship for Dreamers who came to the U.S. as young children and also invests in border security. The average DACA recipient came to the U.S. at age 6, and has been here for years. A majority of voters across partisanship support the legislation, and support is also strong among Republican primary voters.

“Voters across the political spectrum strongly support providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers via legislation, as they have consistently for years – and Congress must deliver in the lame duck session, before the end of this year, to protect more than 600,000 DACA recipients from the threat of losing their work authorization, being forced out of their jobs, and subject to deportation,” said FWD.us President Todd Schulte.

KEY FINDINGS

• Voters across partisanship overwhelmingly support legislation that would create an earned path to citizenship for Dreamers and secure our southern border. By a 50-point margin, voters support the proposed legislation (71% support / 21% oppose) with a plurality (45%) strongly supporting. Support for the legislation is strongest among Democrats (82% support) and Independents (73% support). It also receives majority support among Republicans (58% support) – including regular Republican primary voters (59% support) – and voters who supported Trump in the 2020 election (59% support).
• In their own words, voters cite that Dreamers deserve a path to citizenship and the need for border security as the top reasons to support the legislation. Voters believe that Dreamers have worked hard and earned the right to stay in the country, and they acknowledge that Dreamers came to this country as children, and this is the only country that they know.
• Support for the individual components of the legislation is strong, especially creating a path for Dreamers to earn citizenship. By a more than 4:1 margin, voters overall support a proposal that would create an earned path to citizenship for Dreamers (80% support / 16% oppose). The proposal garners majority support among Democrats (93% support), Independents (74% support), and Republicans (71% support).
• Creating an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers and other essential workers is also popular. A majority of Democrats (92%), Independents (69%), and Republicans (52%) support a proposal to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers.