Surprisingly...

Americans Agree on
How to Fix Immigration

Updated hourly: Based on 1,364 member responses as of October 20, 2026 at 6:53 am ET.

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OVERWHELMING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT

Americans Want Both Parties' Best Solutions

Democrats Support MANDATORY e-verify

A Republican priority for 30 years

Support
Do you support or oppose mandatory E-verify?48%
republicans support STATUS FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS

A Democratic priority for 30 years

Support
Do you support or oppose allowing those who arrived here as children to earn legal status under the DREAM Act's provisions?74%

30

of 34

Proposals Earn a Cross-Partisan Supermajority

Here's what Americans agree we should adopt — or reject

PILOT INTEGRATED VISA PORTAL Adopt 92%
LEGAL STATUS FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS Adopt 89%
PERMIT STAGGERED AGRICULTURAL WORKER ENTRY (H-2A) Adopt 87%
DEPORT ALL CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS Reject 87%
THREE-PILLAR PACKAGE (BORDER, LEGAL, STATUS) Adopt 82%
STATE OPT-IN SYSTEM FOR TEMP WORK VISAS Adopt 81%
CONGRESSIONAL IMMIGRATION-DATA OFFICE Adopt 81%
FENCES & GATES PACKAGE Adopt 80%
3-YEAR H-2A & H-2B CERTIFICATIONS Adopt 80%
TIGHTEN EXEMPTIONS FOR H-1B-DEPENDENT EMPLOYERS Adopt 79%
LEGAL STATUS FOR ADULTS Adopt 79%
YEAR-ROUND AGRICULTURAL WORK VISA (H-2A) Adopt 78%
VISA FOR NON-AGRICULTURAL, NON-SEASONAL/NON-DEGREE JOBS (H-2B) Adopt 77%
ESTABLISH TRUSTED EMPLOYER PROGRAM Adopt 76%
AGRICULTURAL WORKER PORTABILITY WITHIN A STATE (H-2A) Adopt 76%
DEPORT ALL WHO ARRIVED AS ADULTS Reject 76%
CAP EXEMPTIONS FOR RETURNING NON-AGRICULTURAL WORKERS (H-2B) Adopt 75%
WAIVE IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS FOR RETURNING WORKERS Adopt 74%
JUDICIARY HEARING ON DATA-OFFICE REPORTS Adopt 72%
RAISE ASYLUM SCREENING TO "REASONABLE FEAR" Adopt 71%
BIOMETRIC EXIT TRACKING FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS Adopt 67%
MANDATORY E-VERIFY Adopt 66%
ELIMINATE EXEMPTIONS FOR H-1B-DEPENDENT EMPLOYERS Adopt 60%
PILOT ROTATIONAL LABOR Adopt 56%

Cross-Partisan Supermajority: at least 55% consensus overall, and above 50% consensus among each of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

Fences and Gates Package

ROBUST SUPPORT FOR PACKAGE THAT SECURES BORDER AND REFORMS LEGAL IMMIGRATION

Republicans 85%Democrats 75%Independents 80%
Support
All (Weighted)80%

n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

CommonSense Americans overwhelmingly endorse a bipartisan fences and gates immigration package. The support is similarly high among Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, although members of each party don’t recognize how much the other party agrees with them. They strongly agree that this bipartisan compromise should not be rejected in hopes of winning a better deal for one side later — whether that’s more lasting increases in border security or legal immigration reform.

What share of Democrats support the bipartisan fences & gates package?

+30
Republican guess45%
actually75%
0%25%50%75%100%

Republicans guess 45%; actually 75% of Democrats support it.

What share of Republicans support the bipartisan fences & gates package?

+38
Democrat guess47%
actually85%
0%25%50%75%100%

Democrats guess 47%; actually 85% of Republicans support it.

The package members evaluated:

1. Lasting increases in border security

Make OBBBA’s border detection technology permanent — Pass legislation requiring future administrations to continue and maintain OBBBA’s free-standing border technology aspects.

Reform the asylum system — Raise the initial screening standard for assessing fear of persecution from “credible fear” to “reasonable fear.”

2. Legal immigration reform

Modernize — Update technology, processes, and data analysis.

Pilot — Test whether the more ambitious temporary work visa proposals can be implemented in a way that protects US and foreign workers.

Implement — Enact commonsense temporary work visa reforms.

How could a fences & gates package gain even more support?

By doing more to reform legal immigration and less for border security.

We asked our members which arguments against the package they found most compelling:

%
DOES TOO MUCH FOR BORDER SECURITY & TOO LITTLE FOR LEGAL PATHWAYS61%
DOES TOO MUCH FOR LEGAL PATHWAYS & TOO LITTLE FOR BORDER SECURITY26%
BORDER SECURITY SPENDING IS WASTEFUL & THE WORK VISAS ARE UNFAIR TO FOREIGN WORKERS13%

All (Weighted) · n = 1,364 responses

Open-Ended Responses

Support for fences and gates package

Dan L.

Democrat from North Carolina

I view immigration policy as a complicated, multi-faceted issue in our country, in which meaningful compromise offers to the best prospect for a better system. We should acknowledge and value our nation’s history as a community of immigrants, and ensure that lawful, reasonable “gates” and “fences” are in place. These constitute the yin & yang of immigration policy that I believe will make the system better and fairer for both immigrants and native-born.

Mark C.

Independent from California

Arguments against many of these proposals frequently take the form of “it isn’t perfect, so I reject it.” Waiting for perfect solutions is one of the reasons we have neglected this important reform for so long. All things being equal, we should lean toward making efforts at reform. We should not let perfection be the enemy of the good. In a related point, we should not reject good proposals based on the risk that they may not be implemented well or a future administration may do something contrary. Those risks come with any legislation.

Justin R.

Leaning Republican from Tennessee

Our country was built by immigrants. It is still strengthened by immigrants. To restrict immigration too severely is to restrict the growth of the American economy, its people, and its communities. And yet, unchecked immigration will strain the very people and communities we desire to help.

Bennett G.

Democrat from New Jersey

The best way to limit illegal immigration is to make legal immigration easier, especially for the job sectors that currently rely on illegal immigrants. I strongly support expanding the number of visas available in these job sectors, along with speeding up and modernizing the approval processes for these visas. If foreigners who desperately want to come to the U.S. think it’s feasible to come in legally, they won’t risk taking the illegal route.

Joshua R.

Independent from Oregon

My personality is a rule-keeper so the idea of people coming illegally offends my sense of right and wrong. It also irritates me for those who are trying hard to comply with the legal process of coming to our country legally. I grew up in Northern California and packed pears every summer alongside other Caucasian high school kids as well as Mexican adults who were probably here illegally. I sympathize with the desire of people in other countries to come to America and the opportunities that are available here. We need to come up with some kind of compromise that allows for us to continue to be a country that believes in the rule of law, but also makes it easier for those who are willing to abide by our laws to find opportunity. Secure the border, provide ample opportunity for workers to come here, help people who were brought here as minors to find their way into our fold, and restrict those who came here illegally as adults to simply work here and not have a path to citizenship until they return home and go about it the right way.

Kyle C.

Republican from Ohio

The most important thing Congress can do about immigration is something. They have to address the issue. I’m all for the “fences and gates” method, but there have to be some changes even if I don’t agree with them. Nothing has been done for 30 years to significantly address immigration. No pathway will be perfect, but a bipartisan proposal will be more durable than single party priorities.

Three-Pillar Package

OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR PACKAGE THAT (1) SECURES THE BORDER, (2) REFORMS LEGAL IMMIGRATION, AND (3) OFFERS A PATH TO STATUS

There is widespread agreement among everyday Americans that a bipartisan three-pillar package is a way to finally update an immigration system Congress has been unable to meaningfully reform in 30 years. The package would combine lasting border security and enforcement with a modernized legal immigration system and a path for the most deserving undocumented immigrants to earn legal status. Again, Americans don’t realize how much they agree across party lines that addressing all three categories together — rather than holding out for more from any one side — is what it will take to get reform done.

What share of Democrats support this policy?

+36
Republican guess50%
actually86%
0%25%50%75%100%

Republicans guess 50%; actually 86% of Democrats support it.

What share of Republicans support this policy?

+29
Democrat guess45%
actually74%
0%25%50%75%100%

Democrats guess 45%; actually 74% of Republicans support it.
Republicans 74%Democrats 86%Independents 83%
Support
All (Weighted)82%

n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

The package members evaluated:

1. Lasting increases in border security
  • Make OBBBA’s border detection technology permanent — Pass legislation requiring future administrations to continue and maintain OBBBA’s free-standing border technology aspects.
  • Reform the asylum system — Raise the initial screening standard for assessing fear of persecution from “credible fear” to “reasonable fear.”
  • Make E-Verify mandatory
2. Legal immigration reform
  • Modernize — Update technology, processes, and data analysis.
  • Pilot — Test whether the more ambitious temporary work visa proposals can be implemented in a way that protects US and foreign workers.
  • Implement — Enact commonsense temporary work visa reforms.
3. Route for undocumented immigrants to earn legal status
  • DREAM Act provisions for childhood arrivals
  • Dignity Act provisions for adults arrivals

Republicans and Democrats both oppose rejecting this three-pillar bipartisan package for partisan gain:

62

%

of Democrats Say Take the Deal

rather than hold out for status for more undocumented immigrants on more generous terms

67

%

of Republicans Say Take the Deal

rather than hold out for more lasting border security and immigration enforcement

Open-Ended Responses

Support for Three-Pillar Package

Eileen J.

Democrat in Minnesota

I would like members of congress to reach across the aisle and work together in a bipartisan way to get immigration reform done. Making progress on the issue is critical for the nation. It’s more important to take concrete steps than to hold out for winning more of what you want – that just leads to inaction and stagnation. Congress needs to act in a fair and balanced manner and listen to all sides. There are very helpful proposals for all sides of of this problem. Congress needs to stop playing politics and get work done for the American people.

Laura D.

Independent from Virginia

This issue has been avoided for too long, and the GIFT that CommonSense American offers in the form of this informative, bipartisan brief must be taken up as a foundation for US immigration reform. For over 250 years, people have wanted to be Here, in the New World – and especially in the United States. It is irresponsible to put off the task of legislating comprehensive reform any longer. Allowing millions of undocumented immigrants to remain here without status perpetuates a sub-class that remains in the shadows of our society when we must promote the freedom and security that legal status provides.

David G.

Republican from Texas

It is better to do something than nothing. Great strides have been in making the border more secure. We now need to make the process for legal immigration sustainable, fair, effective.

Once immigrants know the rules of the game, all aspects of the 3 legged stool will be easier to implement, enforce, and sustain.

Sherry M.

Democrat in Texas

I believe lasting immigration reform will require good-faith compromise rather than either side holding out indefinitely for everything it wants. We should be able to secure the border and enforce our laws while also creating legal pathways that realistically reflect our labor needs and treating people who have lived and worked in our communities for years with dignity.

What persuaded me most in this brief was the idea that these goals are interdependent. Border security without workable legal pathways is unlikely to remain effective when our economy needs workers. Legal pathways without credible enforcement undermine public confidence. And leaving millions of long-term undocumented residents permanently in the shadows is neither an effective enforcement policy nor a humane immigration policy.

Kari C.

Independent from Arizona

I would like members of Congress to know that I believe immigration reform is long overdue, and that meaningful reform will require compromise from people across the political spectrum. I generally support efforts to create a system that is more orderly, fair, and responsive to the needs of our country, including protections for U.S. employers and workers.

At the same time, I believe it is important to keep the humanity of immigrants at the center of this discussion. The vast majority of people who come to the United States, whether legally, undocumented, or seeking future entry, are human beings trying to improve their lives, support their families, work hard, and contribute to their communities. Our laws should be practical and enforceable, but they should also reflect our nation’s best values.

I hope Congress will pursue reform that strengthens the economy, protects workers, provides clear and realistic legal pathways, improves border and visa systems, and treats people with dignity. Immigration policy will always involve difficult choices, but those choices should not lose sight of the broader goals: welcoming the stranger, supporting economic opportunity, and building a system that works better for everyone.

Lesley D.

Republican from Illinois

Prior to reading this brief, I was pretty uninformed and just had gut-level hunches one way or another. I was opposed to the DREAM Act and would have been opposed to the Dignity Act, because I identified with the feeling that “cheaters” and “lawbreakers” were being “rewarded” for lawbreaking. However, after reading the entire brief, and considering viscerally that it’s been 30 years since significant immigration reform, I now believe it’s more important to pass SOMETHING better in all three legs, with the fences and gates, than to keep holding out “forever” for something more ideal on one or the other side. […] I would love to see Congress just bite the bullet and deal with the mess of the past 30 years in this/some pretty positive measure, so we as a country can move forward and be able to start improving other parts of the system. It feels like it’s time for both sides to stop being entrenched and to compromise, for the sake of moving forward.

Pillar One

Border Security

Support is strong for locking in border technology, raising the asylum-screening standard, and mandatory E-Verify.

BORDER SECURITY

Members broadly support maintaining OBBBA’s free-standing border technology, but divide almost evenly over whether to require future administrations to complete and maintain OBBBA’s border wall system.

A NATION DIVIDED ON THE WALL

Obligate future administrations to complete and maintain a OBBBA’s border wall system along all but 500 miles of the border?

Republicans 85%/15%Democrats 18%/82%Independents 49%/51%
SupportOppose
All (Weighted)51%49%

n = 1,364 responses

What do Americans see as the most compelling arguments for making the border wall system permanent?

They answered: It would help channel immigration through safer and more orderly legal pathways.

%
PRO-IMMIGRATION WALL SUPPORTERS77%
RESTRICTIONISTS24%

All (Weighted) · n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

STRONG MAJORITY SUPPORTS BORDER TECHNOLOGY

Obligate future administrations to continue and maintain OBBBA’s free-standing border technology?

Republicans 83%/17%Democrats 41%/59%Independents 66%/34%
SupportOppose
All (Weighted)64%36%

n = 1,364 responses

Can you do more border security than this proposal without losing support?

Most answered:  The free-standing technology proposal already does too much on border security.

%
DOES TOO MUCH56%
DOES TOO LITTLE44%

All (Weighted) · n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

ASYLUM REFORM

Members broadly support raising the screening standard from “credible fear” to “reasonable fear,” but they split down the middle on giving asylum officers the final say.

STRONG SUPPORT FOR A HIGHER SCREENING STANDARD

Raise the initial screening standard for assessing fear of persecution from “credible fear” to “reasonable fear”?

Republicans 88%/12%Democrats 52%/48%Independents 72%/28%
SupportOppose
All (Weighted)71%29%

n = 1,361 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

SPLIT ON OFFICERS HAVING FINAL SAY

Allow asylum officers to make a final decision on asylum claims?

Republicans 53%/47%Democrats 41%/59%Independents 51%/49%
SupportOppose
All (Weighted)49%52%

n = 809 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

E-VERIFY

Americans strongly support making E-Verify mandatory.

CLEAR SUPPORT FOR MANDATORY E-VERIFY

Support or oppose mandatory E-Verify?

Republicans 84%/16%Democrats 48%/52%Independents 68%/32%
SupportOppose
All (Weighted)66%34%

n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

PILLAR TWO

Legal Immigration

Modernizing the System

INTEGRATED VISA PORTAL

Republicans 90%Democrats 95%Independents 93%
Support
All (Weighted)92%

All (Weighted) · n = 1,364 responses

Piloting a single digital portal integrated across agencies to process visa applications attracts near-universal support

There is broad agreement among everyday Americans that the way we process visas is overdue for an upgrade. Today an applicant’s information is scattered across multiple agencies that don’t talk to each other, creating delays, duplication, and backlogs that frustrate workers and employers alike. A single digital portal — piloted first with one type of temporary work visa — would let agencies share what they already collect, speed up decisions, and cut down on errors. Americans across party lines see this for what it is: a common-sense fix that makes government work better without changing who gets in.

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

SUPPORT FOR EVERY OTHER MODERNIZATION PROPOSAL:

Americans overwhelmingly supported every other modernization proposal

RepublicansDemocratsIndependents
SupportOppose
CONGRESSIONAL IMMIGRATION-DATA OFFICE81%19%
STATE OPT-IN SYSTEM FOR TEMP WORK VISAS81%19%
3-YEAR H-2A & H-2B CERTIFICATIONS80%20%
ESTABLISH TRUSTED EMPLOYER PROGRAM76%24%
WAIVE IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS FOR RETURNING WORKERS74%26%
JUDICIARY HEARING ON DATA-OFFICE REPORTS72%28%
BIOMETRIC EXIT TRACKING FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS67%33%

n = 567–710 responses per question

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

Temporary Work Visas

H-1B, H-2A, H-2B

Members strongly support proposals to update the antiquated temporary work visa system so that we have sensible gates to go with the border fence:

RepublicansDemocratsIndependents
SupportOppose
PERMIT STAGGERED AGRICULTURAL WORKER ENTRY (H-2A)87%13%
TIGHTEN EXEMPTIONS FOR H-1B-DEPENDENT EMPLOYERS79%21%
YEAR-ROUND AGRICULTURAL WORK VISA (H-2A)78%22%
VISA FOR NON-AGRICULTURAL, NON-SEASONAL/NON-DEGREE JOBS (H-2B)77%24%
AGRICULTURAL WORKER PORTABILITY WITHIN A STATE (H-2A)76%24%
CAP EXEMPTIONS FOR RETURNING NON-AGRICULTURAL WORKERS (H-2B)75%25%
ELIMINATE EXEMPTIONS FOR H-1B-DEPENDENT EMPLOYERS60%40%
PILOT ROTATIONAL LABOR56%44%
CAP EXEMPTION FOR PROFESSIONAL STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT JOBS (H-1B)54%46%

n = 512–1,364 responses per question

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

Pillar Three

Legal Status

Across parties, Americans overwhelmingly support letting people earn legal status. Just as strongly, they oppose mass deportation or leaving them in permanent limbo.

A PATH TO LEGAL STATUS FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS & ADULT ARRIVALS

Robust support — and every party agrees 

From Democrats to Republicans, majorities back earning legal status. No group dips below 75%.

CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS

Earn legal status under DREAM Act?

Republicans 74%Democrats 100%Independents 92%
Support
All (Weighted)89%

n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

ADULT ARRIVALS

Earn legal status under Dignity Act?

Republicans 63%Democrats 91%Independents 81%
Support
All (Weighted)79%

n = 1,364 responses

Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

UNDOCUMENTED CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS

◀ Oppose Support ▶
Earn Legal Status Under the DREAM Act 89% support
11% oppose 89% support
Deport All Undocumented Childhood Arrivals 87% oppose
87% oppose 13% support
Leave Childhood Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 76% oppose
76% oppose 24% support
Earn Legal Status Under the DREAM Act 74% support
26% oppose 74% support
Deport All Undocumented Childhood Arrivals 70% oppose
70% oppose 30% support
Leave Childhood Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 83% oppose
83% oppose 17% support
Earn Legal Status Under the DREAM Act 100% support
0% oppose 100% support
Deport All Undocumented Childhood Arrivals 98% oppose
98% oppose 2% support
Leave Childhood Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 69% oppose
69% oppose 31% support
Earn Legal Status Under the DREAM Act 92% support
9% oppose 92% support
Deport All Undocumented Childhood Arrivals 91% oppose
91% oppose 9% support
Leave Childhood Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 75% oppose
75% oppose 25% support
Oppose Support
RepublicansDemocratsIndependents
Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

UNDOCUMENTED ADULT ARRIVALS

◀ Oppose Support ▶
Earn Legal Status Under the Dignity Act 79% support
22% oppose 79% support
Deport All Undocumented Adult Arrivals 76% oppose
76% oppose 24% support
Leave Adult Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 78% oppose
78% oppose 22% support
Earn Legal Status Under the Dignity Act 63% support
37% oppose 63% support
Deport All Undocumented Adult Arrivals 51% oppose
51% oppose 50% support
Leave Adult Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 87% oppose
87% oppose 13% support
Earn Legal Status Under the Dignity Act 91% support
10% oppose 91% support
Deport All Undocumented Adult Arrivals 97% oppose
97% oppose 3% support
Leave Adult Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 68% oppose
68% oppose 32% support
Earn Legal Status Under the Dignity Act 81% support
19% oppose 81% support
Deport All Undocumented Adult Arrivals 79% oppose
79% oppose 21% support
Leave Adult Arrivals Without Status (except dangerous) 78% oppose
78% oppose 22% support
Oppose Support
RepublicansDemocratsIndependents
Breakdown the data by party, state, income, education, race, and ethnicity. View the Results Dashboard.

All Messages to Congress