E fundit!

08:35 CRIME

Massive brawl in Saranda, 6 people escorted to the police

A massive brawl was recorded on Friday evening in Saranda,...

Poll: Americans appreciate the contribution of immigrants, but worry about the risks

2024-03-29 15:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Poll: Americans appreciate the contribution of immigrants, but worry about the

Americans are more worried about the possibility of legal immigrants committing crimes in the United States than they were a few years ago, according to a new poll, a shift driven largely by heightened concern among Republicans, while Democrats continue to see a range wide range of benefits from immigration.

According to the survey conducted by the Associated Press news agency and the Center for the Study of Public Affairs, NORC, a significant share of American adults believe that immigrants make important contributions to the country's economy and culture. But when it comes to legal immigrants, Americans see fewer big benefits than in the past, and more risks.

About 4 in 10 Americans say that immigrants who come to the United States legally bring great benefits to American companies, with the expertise of skilled workers in fields such as science and technology. A similar percentage, about 38% of respondents also said that legal immigrants make a great contribution to society, enriching American culture and values.

Both numbers are down from 2017 polls, in which 59% of Americans said skilled immigrant workers who come to the country legally provide great benefits, and half said legal immigrants make a significant contribution. great in enriching American culture.

Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans who say there is a high risk of legal immigrants committing crimes in the United States has increased, from 19% in 2017 to 32% in the latest poll.

Republicans are more likely to say immigration is an important issue to them personally, and 41% now say there is a great risk of legal immigrants committing crimes in the United States, up from 20% who said this in 2017 .In general, Republicans are more likely to focus on the great dangers than the benefits of immigrants entering the country legally and illegally, although they tend to be more concerned about people coming to the country in illegal way.

Bob Saunders, a 64-year-old independent voter from New Jersey, does not support President Biden's work on immigration and border security. He says there is a difference between legal and illegal immigration. Mr. Saunders said it is important to know the history of immigrants coming to the United States and that legal immigration contributes to the economy. He also mentioned his family's immigrant experience.

"I'm not against immigration. I'm against illegal immigration," Mr Saunders said.

About 71% of Republicans say there is a risk that people who come to the country illegally will commit crimes, although many studies have found that immigrants are less likely to commit violent crimes than native-born citizens. About 80% of Republicans think there is a big risk that illegal immigrants in the country will burden public service programs, while about 6 in 10 Republicans are concerned that there is a big risk that they will take away Americans' jobs . According to them, the growth of the illegal immigrant population will weaken the American identity and increase the risk that they will vote illegally, although only a small number of non-citizen voters have been detected so far.

Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to see benefits from immigration, though the poll noted that only half of Democrats now think legal immigrants are making significant contributions to American companies, a drop of more than 20 percent compared to 2017. But they are more likely than Republicans to say that the ability of people to come from other parts of the world to escape violence or find economic opportunity is very important to the country's identity .

There's also a partisan divide on the value of ethnic diversity, with 83% of Democrats saying it makes the country at least moderately stronger, compared with 43% of Republicans and independents sharing that view. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say that a common American culture and set of values ??are very important to the identity of the United States, although about half of Democrats also see this as important. Adults in the United States, especially Republicans, are more likely to say that the country has been greatly changed by immigrants in the past five years than to say that immigrants have changed their community or state. About 3 in 10 American adults say immigrants have had a big impact on their community, while about 6 in 10 say they've had a big impact on the country as a whole. The gap between perceptions of community impact and effects on the country as a whole is particularly wide among Republicans.

There is somewhat of a common denominator on how immigration should be handled at the US-Mexico border. According to the poll, the most popular option is hiring more Border Patrol agents, which is supported by about 8 in 10 Republicans and about half of Democrats. Hiring more immigration judges and court personnel is also favored by most people in both parties.

About half of Americans support reducing the number of immigrants allowed to seek asylum in the United States after arriving at the border, but there is a much wider divide along party lines on the issue, with more Republicans than Democrats favoring the strategy. Building a wall, the goal of former President Donald Trump, is the least popular and most polarizing option. About 4 in 10 Americans support building a wall on the US-Mexico border. About 77% of Republicans and only 12% of Democrats support the move.

Congress recently approved funding to hire about 2,000 more Border Patrol agents, but so far this year, there has been no significant push to approve funding to hire more immigration judges. Many lawmakers from both parties say it now takes too long to decide asylum cases, meaning immigrants stay in the country for years waiting for a decision, but lawmakers have been unable to find consensus on how to resolve the issue. ./ VOA