The Pew Hispanic Center released a poll recently on U.S. Latinos’ attitudes toward immigration, as well as a poll from Mexico on attitudes toward migration to the U.S.  The poll confirms that Latinos overall, and Latino immigrants especially, view immigration as an important issue, are far more likely to hold pro-immigrant views and support generous immigration levels than the general public, and strongly favor immigration reform that includes a path to permanent residence for the undocumented already here, while being far more skeptical of a “work and return” guest worker proposal. 

According to the report:

·         80% of Latino immigrants and 75% of native-born Latinos say that immigration is an extremely important or very important issue (in polls of the general public in which respondents rate the importance of ten issues, immigration usually comes in last)

·         89% of Latino immigrants and 65% of the native-born say immigrants strengthen our country rather than being a burden (a recent Pew survey that found 45% of the general public agrees)

·         76% of Latino immigrants and 55% of the native-born say undocumented immigrants help the economy by providing low cost labor rather than hurt the economy by driving wages down

·         76% of Latino immigrants and 72% of native-born say that legal immigration levels should be increased or stay the same (a recent poll sponsored by the National Immigration Forum and American Immigration Lawyers Association found that 48% of the general public supports increased or current levels of immigration)

·         88% of Latino immigrants and 78% of the native-born favor giving undocumented immigrants a chance to remain here permanently with legal status and to eventually become U.S. citizens

·         55% of Latino immigrants and 59% of the native-born favor a temporary worker program that would require the workers to eventually return to their home countries

For more information on the opinions of the Pew Hispanic Center, visit www.pewhispanic.org.