NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation has been sponsoring polling by Pulse Opinion Research of likely mid-term voters in Senate, House and Presidential battleground states over the last year.
The majority of voters in all 25 polled states chose immigration levels at least 25% lower than the current one. The favorite choice was a level requiring at least a 75% cut in annual numbers. (The number of respondents in nearly all the states was 1,000.)
THE QUESTION: Current federal policy adds about one million new immigrants with lifetime work permits each year. Which is closest to the number of new immigrants the government should be adding each year -- less than 250,000, 500,000, 750,000, one million, one and a half million, or more than two million?
The state results cover a period of 15 months. National polling over that same period found very little variation in opinion favoring cuts versus favoring no cuts.
53% vs. 30% -- Nov. 7-8, 2018 (actual voters polled after midterm election)
62% vs. 25% -- March 7-8, 2018
60% vs. 27% -- Dec. 19-20, 2017
55% vs. 29% -- Oct. 2-3, 2017
61% vs. 26% -- Aug. 24-25, 2017
62% vs. 23% -- July 24-25, 2017
63% vs. 24% -- April 19-20, 2017
59% vs. 27% -- Feb. 15-19, 2017
Even going back to April 1-2 before the 2014 midterm elections, the results found similar opinions, with 63% of likely voters favoring cutting immigration to 750,000 or less, compared with 21% favoring staying at one million or increasing the number.
“Despite consistent polling showing that most Americans have favorable opinions about immigrants, it is clear that voters also think that one million a year is too much,” commented NumbersUSA president Roy Beck. “All eventual compromises that may lead to government action must meet this basic desire for less immigration.”
| DATE | STATE | 750K or LESS | 1 MILLION or MORE | MARGIN |
| July 12-14, 2017 | Arizona | 62% | 25% | +37% |
| March 20-24, 2018 | California | 56% | 32% | +24% |
| March 20-21, 2018 | Colorado | 56% | 32% | +24% |
| March 14-15, 2018 | Florida | 62% | 30% | +32% |
| March 20-25, 2018 | Idaho | 61% | 29% | +32% |
| June 6-8, 2018 | Illinois | 51% | 36% | +15% |
| May 5-9, 2017 | Indiana | 55% | 21% | +34% |
| March 20-22, 2018 | Louisiana | 70% | 20% | +50% |
| June 8-12, 2017 | Michigan | 64% | 22% | +42% |
| July 11-13, 2017 | Minnesota | 57% | 26% | +31% |
| April 19-20, 2017 | Missouri | 63% | 24% | +39% |
| May 17-21, 2017 | Montana | 61% | 26% | +35% |
| March 14-15, 2018 | North Carolina | 60% | 27% | +33% |
| July 11-14, 2017 | Nevada | 63% | 24% | +39% |
| July 12-17, 2017 | New Mexico | 56% | 30% | +26% |
| June 7-8, 2018 | New York | 57% | 33% | +24% |
| May 5-18, 2017 | North Dakota | 53% | 23% | +20% |
| March 20-21, 2018 | Ohio | 65% | 26% | +39% |
| March 14-15, 2018 | Pennsylvania | 58% | 31% | +27% |
| March 20-24, 2018 | Tennessee | 64% | 26% | +38% |
| March 14-15, 2018 | Texas | 63% | 28% | +35% |
| July 11-14, 2017 | Utah | 55% | 29% | +26% |
| March 20-21, 2018 | Virginia | 51% | 31% | +20% |
| May 17-23, 2017 | West Virginia | 72% | 16% | +56% |
| March 14-15, 2018 | Wisconsin | 57% | 31% | +26% |