There's Been A Drastic Recent Swing In Obama's Approval Rating On Immigration
The poll found that Americans now view President Barack Obama favorably on handling immigration, and his plan to reform the nation's immigration system has support.
According to the poll, 49 percent approved and 43 percent disapproved of Obama's handling of the issue. That was a sharp change from a similar poll in July, in which only 38 percent approved and 52 percent disapproved.
The proposal Obama recently introduced is structured around four major points: strengthening border security, cracking down on employers hiring undocumented workers, providing a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented workers currently living in the U.S., and streamlining the legal immigration system.
Obama also gained support in specific areas of his proposal, with 83 percent supporting increased border security and 55 percent backing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
The responses went across party lines. Sixty-eight percent of Democrats offered support for illegal immigrants gaining citizenship, compared with just 42 percent of Republicans. Fifty-two percent of Independents supported a path to citizenship.
Strict border control, though, was very popular among all groups — 76 percent of Democrats, 92 percent of Republicans, and 85 percent of independents supported it.