Congress is currently arguing about whether to protect "Dreamers" by reinstating the DACA policy that protected them from being deported. These are individuals brought to this country as small children. They grew up here, do not have a criminal record, and are getting an education or serving in the U.S. military. In other words, they are exactly the kind of immigrants this country needs. And if Congress doesn't act, these 800,000 to 900,000 Americans will be subject to deportation in March (to a country they did not grow up in and do not know).
This is not just bad policy. It is stupid policy, and a clear majority of Americans know that. As the top chart shows, the public wants the DACA policy reinstated to protect these people -- by a 29 point margin. And that is the feeling regardless of gender, age, or race.
Trump wants to hold these Dreamers hostage to get his border wall. But that border wall is not supported by a majority of Americans. It is opposed by a 10 point margin. Holding the Dreamers hostage may play well to Trump xenophobic and racist base, but it is not going to win him any friends in the general population -- and if these Dreamers start getting deported, then the GOP will pay for it at the polls in November.
These charts use information in a new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done on January 8th and 9th of a random sample of 1,500 adults (including 1.327 registered voters), with a 3.3 point margin of error (2.9 points for registered voters).
