Gallup Poll: Race relations, Immigration are among America's top concerns

Immigrants becoming Americans.

UPDATED June 3 to correct misleading headline.

On the cusp of the celebration of July 4th, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, more Americans believe immigration is beneficial to the United States.

The overwhelming majority of Americans, 77%, believe immigration is a good thing for their country. When measured in this more general sense, public support for immigration is at historic highs, showing far less of a partisan divide, with both Republicans and Democrats expressing a more generally positive view of immigration.

Thirty-four percent of Americans, up from 27% a year ago, would prefer to see immigration to the U.S. increased. This is the highest level of support for expanding immigration Gallup has found in its trend since 1965, when the historic Immigration Reform Act was passed.

At the same time, the percentage favoring less immigration has fallen to a new low of 28%, while 36% think it should stay at the present level.

This marks the first time in Gallup's trend that the percentage wanting increased immigration has exceeded the percentage who want decreased immigration.

Two years ago, Americans cited immigration as the most important problem facing the country. Recent events, such as the killing of George Floyd has pushed race relations, as the most important problem facing the country.

Not included in the survey, was the importance of overcoming the coronavirus, which could push immigration to the third spot overall.

Controlling -- or limiting -- Immigration was the centerpiece of Donald Trump's rise to the presidency starting with building a wall on the US border with Mexico, the ban on travel from countries predominantly Muslim, and more recent attempts -- piece by piece -- of undoing the 1965 immigration act that opened the process in a more equitable fashion to countries other than those from Europe.

While Trump may be right to make immigration his campaign's central issue, the poll suggests that he may be on the wrong side of the issue. But Trump may not be as concerned with getting majority support for his policies as he is in using the issue to energize his politically right-of-center base.

Trump's policies and rhetoric on immigration appear to be accomplishing that goal but may also be serving to make people outside his base more positive toward immigration.

These results are from a Gallup poll conducted May 28-June 4 before the Trump administration's decision to halt issuing any new H-1B and other worker visas through the end of the year. It also preceded the Supreme Court's recent ruling that invalidated the Trump administration's action to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act, which offers legal protection for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Contrary to most Americans' perception, according to the Pew Research Center, the majority of new immigrants in recent years are coming from Asia, not Latin America and Mexico. The countries providing the most immigrants -- before Trump's new limits -- are coming from India, China, Pakistan and the Philippines.