Given a choice between granting amnesty to illegal immigrants and deporting all of them, 52% would vote for the candidate who favored deportation, 36% would vote for the candidate who favored amnesty, and 12% are undecided.
The latest Rasmussen Reports survey also revealed that 75% of Republican voters would choose the candidate who favored deporting all illegal immigrants, as would 34% of Democrats, and 50% of unaffiliated voters.
There is a partisan divide on the issue, with 57% of Republicans strongly supporting a policy of deporting all illegal aliens, but only 22% of Democrats supporting it.
On the show "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio defended his support for former President Donald Trump's policy of mass deportation.
"We cannot absorb 25, 30 million people who entered this country illegally. What country on earth would tolerate that? ... Unfortunately, we're going to have to do something dramatic to remove people from this country that are here illegally, especially people we know nothing about."
A majority of Democrats (56%) said they would vote for the candidate who favored amnesty for illegal aliens, as would 18% of Republicans and 34% of unaffiliated voters, according to Rasmussen.
Still, only a minority of Democrats, 26%, support legislation to grant amnesty to illegal aliens and allow them to become permanent U.S. residents. Only 10% of Republicans and 13% of unaffiliated are in favor of it.
Meanwhile, 61% of Republicans, 24% of Democrats, and 38% of unaffiliated voters would strongly oppose amnesty legislation.
There is not much of a "gender gap" on these questions, with just slightly more men (54%) than women voters (50%) saying they would vote for a candidate who favored deporting all illegal aliens rather than one who favored amnesty.
Along racial lines, 57% of whites, 44% of black voters, 45% of Hispanics, and 40% of other minorities would vote for the candidate who favored deporting all illegal aliens. Thirty-two percent of whites, 42% of black voters, 46% of Hispanics, and 42% of other minorities would vote for the candidate who favored amnesty.
In terms of income, those earning more than $200,000 a year are most likely to favor a policy of amnesty for illegal immigrants, while support for deportation is highest among those with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000.
President Joe Biden's strongest supporters are most in favor of amnesty. Among voters who strongly approve of Biden's job performance as president, 82% would at least somewhat support legislation to grant amnesty. By contrast, among those who strongly disapprove of Biden's performance, just 11% would support amnesty, while 76% strongly oppose it.
In the Rasmussen poll, 37% say "illegal alien" is the best way to describe foreigners who cross the U.S. border in violation of our immigration laws, while 26% say "illegal immigrant" is the best term. Twenty-two percent consider "undocumented migrant" the best description, while 10% prefer "asylum seeker."
Also, 86% of Republicans, 45% of Democrats, and 59% of unaffiliated voters prefer either "illegal alien" or "illegal immigrant" as the best description. Fifty percent of Democrats prefer either "undocumented migrant" or "asylum seeker," but that preference is shared by only 10% of Republicans and 33% of unaffiliated voters.
The survey was among 1,072 likely U.S. voters conducted May 12-14 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%.
Peter Malbin ✉
Peter Malbin, a Newsmax writer, covers news and politics. He has 30 years of news experience, including for the New York Times, New York Post and Newsweek.com.
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