Poll: US open to schools for illegal immigrants

Below is a Poll by Oregon pollster Moore Information. Catch the Full Poll here:

A majority of voters nationwide today believe children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend local public schools, but do not necessarily believe these children are also entitled to U.S. citizenship.

Should children of illegal immigrants
be allowed to attend local public schools, or not?
Should 56%
Don’t know 6%
Should not 38%

Should children born in the United States
to parents who are in the country illegally
be entitled to U.S. citizenship, or not?
Should 49%
Don’t know 5%
Should not 46%

Public Schooling for Children of Illegal Immigrants By a margin of 56-38%, voters nationwide say that children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public schools. The remaining 6% have no opinion. Reactions by subgroup show the leading differences in attitudes are partisan driven. For example, three-in-four Democrats believe children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public schools (75% should/22% should not), as do a majority of Independents (53% should/39% should not). But among Republicans, the majority takes the other viewpoint (56% say these children should not be allowed to attend public schools while 38% say they should). There is consensus agreement among all Democrats that children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public schools, but among Republicans there are differences by philosophy. For example, self-described very Conservative Republicans widely oppose allowing these children to attend public schools (25% should/67% should not), and a majority of somewhat Conservative Republicans also share this view (41/53%), but Moderate Republicans are divided on the issue (49/47%)

Looking at other subgroups, we find women of all ages and men age 18 29 in wide agreement that children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public schools, but men age 30 and older are divided on the issue. Additionally, educating children of illegal immigrants in public schools is more widely supported by postgraduates than by voters with less education, but voters in households with lower annual incomes ($20,000 or less) are more supportive than voters in higher income households. Looking at ethnicity, Hispanic/Latino voters are more likely to support public education for children of illegal National Views on Education for Children of Illegal Immigrants

2 immigrants than are voters of other ethnic backgrounds, though majorities of Caucasians and other minorities also share this sentiment.

Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants When it comes to the question of whether children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents should be entitled to U.S. citizenship; 49% of voters say these children should be entitled to U.S. citizenship, but 46% disagree and the remaining 5% have no opinion.

Looking at party affiliation, majorities of Democrats say children of illegal immigrants should be entitled to U.S. citizenship, but majorities of Republicans disagree and Independents are divided. Delving deeper into partisanship, we find a majority of Conservative Republicans would not guarantee citizenship to children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants, but Moderate Republicans are divided. Moderate and Liberal Democrats take the other side of this issue and would guarantee citizenship to these children, but sentiment is divided among self-described Conservative Democrats.

Among other key demographic subgroups, guaranteed citizenship for children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants is supported by voters age 18-29, postgraduates and minorities (though support is more widespread among Hispanics/Latinos). At the same time, sentiment is divided among voters age 30 and older, voters with a four-year college degree or less education and Caucasians voters.

Catch the Full Poll here: