Most U.S. adults say the United States has become a less welcoming place for immigrants, according to a new AP-NORC survey released May 6, with many respondents describing how recent federal enforcement has reached into their daily lives. The survey found that about 6 in 10 adults say the country used to be a great place for immigrants but is not anymore, and it found that roughly one-third say they or someone they know has been affected by the Trump administration’s approach over the past year. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted the poll with more than 2,500 U.S. adults from April 16-20.
The survey results describe a range of personal effects tied to immigration status, including whether people start carrying proof of immigration status or U.S. citizenship, whether they are detained or deported, and whether they change travel plans or daily routines because of their status. Among Hispanic adults, the poll found higher levels of reported impact than among Black or white adults.
The AP-NORC poll also found that respondents’ personal connections to immigration enforcement are linked to their overall view of whether the United States remains welcoming. The findings reported by the AP said Democrats are more likely than independents or Republicans to say they know someone affected, and that people with a personal connection are more likely to say the United States is no longer a great place for immigrants.
Missouri retiree Reid Gibson, described by the AP as an independent, said he was furious about the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants. Gibson said he hopes the country becomes more welcoming again, but he worries it will take time, adding, “it may take many years to reverse the damage that the Trump administration has inflicted.” Gibson also said, “This is not a good country for immigrants anymore.”
In the AP-NORC poll, Gibson’s stepdaughter was cited as an example of how enforcement concerns can affect even people who are citizens. Gibson said she started carrying her passport because he worried her darker skin would make her a target in immigration crackdowns, an adaptation he said was driven by fear of the consequences of enforcement.
The AP also described an Illinois Democrat, Kathy Bailey, who said the administration’s immigration policies have shown up in the experiences of people in her community. Bailey, who said she is 79, told the AP that two naturalized U.S. citizens in a swim class she attends began carrying their passports when they leave home; she said one of them, from Latin America, had become especially worried about standing out in an overwhelmingly white community. Bailey said, “She’s an American citizen now, but she’s so scared that she has to carry her passport,” and she added, “She’s just another sweet old grandmother swimming at 5 in the morning.”
Nick Grivas, a Massachusetts Democrat described by the AP, said his views about the country’s openness to immigrants are shaped by family experience. Grivas said his grandfather immigrated from Greece and that he feels the effects of the president’s policies, an outlook tied to what he described as how the United States treats immigrant children. Grivas said, “We can see how we’re treating children and the children of the immigrants, and we’re not viewing them as potential future Americans.”
In addition to the enforcement-related findings, the AP-NORC poll reported support levels for birthright citizenship, as the Supreme Court considers whether the Trump administration can restrict it. The AP said the Supreme Court recently heard arguments tied to an effort to limit citizenship for children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily, arguing they would not be citizens at birth.
The poll reported by the AP found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults support automatic citizenship for all children born in the country, with most Democrats and independents backing that approach. Republicans were reported as more doubtful, with just 44% saying automatic citizenship should be granted, while some respondents expressed more nuanced views: the AP said the poll found people can support birthright citizenship in general while opposing it in specific circumstances.
Among respondents who said they do not back automatic citizenship, the AP cited Florida Republican Linda Steele, 70, who said she believes citizenship should apply only to children born to American citizens. Steele said, “That shouldn’t be allowed,” and she added, “They’re just here visiting or going to school.”
The AP said the poll also tested support in specific scenarios tied to parents’ immigration status. It reported that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults support birthright citizenship for children born to parents on legal U.S. tourist visas, while only about half support it for those born to parents in the country illegally. It also reported stronger support—about 75%—for children born in the United States to parents who are in the country legally on work visas, with much of that increase coming from Republicans.
Kevin Craig, 57, of Wilmington, North Carolina, was cited by the AP as an example of a respondent who does not support automatic citizenship, though he said he still believes citizenship should ultimately be granted. Craig said there should be “at least some opportunity for intervention by a human being who can make some sort of a judgment,” and he added, “I think my personal opinion is that I can’t think of a situation where it would not be granted.”
The AP reported that the AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, and it said the margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.