September 22, 2025
The public is less likely than they were earlier in the year to say that legal immigration should be reduced, and more say the country now benefits from legal immigration. But few want legal immigration increased, and views about immigrants who are in the country illegally have stayed about the same.
Roughly half of the public think that legal immigration to the United States should remain the same as it is. Since last asked on the AP-NORC poll in January 2025, fewer think that legal immigration to the United States should be reduced, and slightly more think there should be an increase.
Republicans and independents are more likely to say they want a reduction in legal immigration compared with Democrats. But compared with earlier in the year, fewer Republicans think legal immigration should be reduced.
Hispanic adults are more likely than white adults or Black adults to support an increase in legal immigration (37% vs 27% and 26%).
The public is more likely now than in March 2024 to say legal immigration has “major” benefits, particularly regarding economic impacts. Six in 10 now say immigrants who come to the U.S. legally contribute to economic growth and half of the public believe American companies benefit by getting the expertise of skilled workers in fields like science and technology.
The public is slightly less likely than last year to see major risks from legal immigration. Compared with March 2024, slightly fewer view those who immigrate to the U.S. legally, as taking jobs from American workers, burdening welfare and safety net programs, or voting illegally. In March 2024, about a third were concerned with the major risk of crimes committed by immigrants who come to the U.S. legally, but that has since dropped to a quarter of the public in the latest poll.
Half of the public believe that Donald Trump has gone too far when deporting immigrants living in the United States illegally, though the divide is largely partisan. While 82% of Democrats say he has gone too far, 54% of Republicans think he has not gone far enough.
There has been little change in the public’s view of the benefits and risks of illegal immigration since March 2024. The public does not consider illegal immigration as having the same major benefits as legal immigration. But most people see at least a minor benefit from immigrants who come to the United States illegally.
The public thinks immigrants who come to the United States illegally are more of a risk than those who come legally, particularly when it comes to burdening welfare and safety net programs or committing crimes.
Forty-five percent of the public say increasing security at the U.S.-Mexico border should be a “high” priority for the federal government. A third say the same about deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, allowing refugees to come to the U.S. to escape violence in their home countries, or providing a way for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to stay legally.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats or independents to say increasing border security and deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be a high priorities. On the other hand, Democrats were more likely than Republicans or independents to say allowing refugees to come to the U.S. to escape violence in their home countries and providing a way for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to stay legally should be high priorities for the federal government.
The nationwide poll was conducted September 11-15, 2025 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,183 adults. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 3.8 percentage points.
- Suggested Citation: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “About half of the public believe the number of legal immigrants to the U.S. should remain the same.” (September 2025).
