Poll shows New Yorkers remain positive about immigrants despite border influx.
New Yorkers Overwhelmingly Support Immigration Despite Housing Crisis
New Yorkers remain overwhelmingly in favor of immigration to the United States despite the state’s burgeoning crisis to house and resettle newcomers arriving from the southern border.
New polling from the upstate Siena College Research Institute found that the majority of New York residents want the federal government to make it easier for newcomers to obtain documents to work and want to see immigrants housed on federal property rather than in privately owned hotels and city shelters.
Positive Views on Immigration
The survey conducted by Siena College revealed that more than 75% of respondents said most immigrants want only to build a better life and that the country was built by people around the world. Seventy-two percent said immigrants bring vitality to America, and 60% believed businesses need immigrants to be successful. Slightly more people disagreed with the statement that immigrants take in more resources than they return in economic activity — 48% to 42%.
“Despite nearly a third saying that America no longer needs new immigrants, well over half and a majority of both Democrats and Republicans said that businesses need new immigrants in order to be successful,” said Don Levy, SCRI’s director.
Political Affiliations
43% of the poll’s respondents identified as Democrats — more than double the 21% who said they were Republicans. The remaining 36% were undecided or independent-affiliated. The higher numbers of Democrats polled were meant to mirror the percentage of New Yorkers who lean to the left politically than to the right.
Temporary Shelters and Immigration Reform
In addition to the overall positive views on immigration, 56% of New Yorkers said federally owned land and buildings should be used as temporary shelters for the current immigration surge, as opposed to 36% who opposed it.
Three in five people wanted to see Congress move on comprehensive immigration reform that provides illegal immigrants with a way to become U.S. citizens, compared to 28% who opposed it.
Easier Access to Federal Documents
Fifty-nine percent of respondents said it should be easier for immigrants to obtain federal documents that allow them to legally work anywhere in the country. These documents cannot be obtained until six months after an immigrant makes a request for asylum, leaving many jobless and unable to secure housing without proof of work.
The survey was conducted among 414 New York adults by landline and cellphones, as well as 386 responses online. The poll had a 3.8 percentage point margin of error.
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