Pew Poll: 63 Percent of Republicans Call Illegals 'Burden'

Sixty-three percent of Republicans surveyed by the Pew Research Center said that illegal migrants are a burden on the United States, while 59 percent said members of their own party on Capitol Hill were not doing a good job addressing immigration.

The Republicans were among 2,002 adults Pew surveyed on May 12-18. The poll has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Here are some of Pew's overall findings:

• 72 percent said that illegals now in the U.S. should be allowed to stay under certain conditions.
• 56 percent disapprove of how President Barack Obama is handling immigration, compared with 37 percent who approve.
• 51 percent said illegals strengthen the country, while 41 percent said they "take jobs, housing and healthcare."
• 39 percent said that legal immigration should be kept at its current level, vs. 31 percent who said it should be decreased and 24 percent increased.

Among Republicans, Pew found that:

• 58 percent consider a path to citizenship for illegals is a "reward for doing something wrong" — though 56 percent support such an effort.
• 42 percent think legal immigration should be decreased, compared with 34 percent kept at its present level and 21 percent increased.
• 65 percent said the GOP does a bad job on immigration, vs. only 34 percent who believe the issue is being handled properly.

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