Immigration Bill 2013: 63% Of Americans Support Citizenship Reforms

A new report by the Public Religion Research Institute has found that an overwhelming amount of Americans support immigration bill which would lead to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. In fact, 63 percent of Americans support the motion irrespective of race, religion or party alignment. Only 14 percent supported legal residency with no path to citizenship. The findings are at odds with a congress that is turning increasingly towards legalization and away from a comprehensive citizenship legislation.

Immigration reform has become increasingly difficult as Republican support has turned towards a piecemeal approach that would create a convoluted path to citizenship that could take up to 13 years. Yet this trend opposes the majority of even Republican voters: sixty percent of Republicans surveyed in the report supported a more comprehensive immigration bill guaranteeing citizenship. Meanwhile, 73 percent of Democrats supported a pathway to citizenship. And despite the change in Congress, support for immigration has not changed much since March.

Immigration reform would come with should come with some conditions, according to a majority of those surveyed. 71 percent of those surveyed were in favor of undocumented immigrants paying back-taxes, undergoing a background check and passing an English proficiency test. However, a similer number of Americans agree that 13 years is too long a process for citizenship.