Pew Poll: Majority of Republicans Dissatisfied with GOP on Illegal Immigration

by Tony Lee

Sep 23, 2014 10:17 AM PT

A new Pew Research poll has found that a majority of Republicans think the party is not representing their views on illegal immigration. 

A week after a Gallup poll found that illegal immigration is the top concern among Republicans, a Pew survey discovered that 56% of "Republicans and Republican leaners" think the GOP is "not doing a good job" on illegal immigration, while only 37% believe Republicans are "doing a good job representing their views on illegal immigration." Yet, Republican establishment figures have insisted that the GOP must pass comprehensive amnesty legislation that would further depress its base. 

The poll found that a "third of Republicans (33%) say the party has not done a good job on immigration because it is too willing to allow immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to gain legal status" while only "18% say it has not done a good job because it is not willing enough to allow immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to gain legal status." Illegal immigration became a top concern for Republicans and Americans after Breitbart Texas published leaked photos of illegal immigrants being warehoused, which forced the mainstream press to cover the issue. 

The survey, conducted Sept. 2-9, 2014 among 2,002 adults, included "863 Republicans and Republican leaners" for the Republican sample.