Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults continue to view immigration as a good thing for the United States, according to a new Gallup poll, even as support has eased slightly from last year's record high.
The survey also found continued majority backing for pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, while support for several enforcement-focused policies has weakened.
Gallup found that 73% of U.S. adults say immigration is a good thing for the country, down from 79% in 2025 but still above the 25-year average of 67%. Twenty-one percent said immigration is a bad thing for the country. The decline was driven largely by Republicans, whose positive view of immigration fell from 64% to 50%, while Democrats remained overwhelmingly positive at 91% and independents slipped to 73%.
Americans are also divided over future immigration levels. Thirty-five percent said immigration should remain at its current level, 31% want it increased and 29% favor reducing it. That marks a continued decline from 2024, when 55% wanted immigration reduced.
The survey found broad support for legal pathways to citizenship. Eighty-one percent favor allowing immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children to become citizens if they meet certain requirements, while 75% support offering a similar pathway to undocumented immigrants more broadly.
By contrast, support for tougher enforcement measures remains more limited. Americans are evenly divided on hiring significantly more Border Patrol agents, with 49% in favor and 48% opposed. Majorities oppose deporting all undocumented immigrants (58%) and banning sanctuary cities by requiring local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities (54%).
Gallup also found that Americans generally view legal immigration as benefiting the economy. Majorities said it helps fill workforce shortages caused by an aging population (64%), supplies workers for lower-wage jobs (60%), generates tax revenue (56%) and contributes to science and technology fields (52%). Housing affordability and job opportunities for U.S.-born workers remained the areas of greatest concern.
The findings broadly align with other recent polling. In April, a Pew Research Center survey found that 52% of Americans believed the Trump administration was doing "too much" to deport immigrants living in the country illegally, while 31% said it was doing about the right amount and 15% said it was doing too little. Pew also found broad opposition to immigration arrests at schools, hospitals and places of worship.
