Over the last 8 years, American attitudes toward deporting illegal immigrants have undergone a remarkable transformation. Until recently, Americans generally disapproved of immigrants who came to the U.S. through extra-legal means but stopped short of advocating for their removal. In July 2016, the same month that Donald Trump captured the Republican nomination for president, less than one-third (32 percent)of Americans said they were in favor of “deporting all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally back to their home country.” Nearly two-thirds of Americans opposed this policy. Support has grown steadily since then. In a new survey conducted by my team at the Survey Center on American Life, we find the public essentially divided. Half (50 percent) of Americans now favor deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, while fewer than half (46 percent) remain opposed.
