Immigration

There were major changes in the outlook toward immigrants in 2010 versus 2000. Forty percent view immigrants today as a benefit because of their hard work and job skills, while 50% say that they are a burden because they use public services. In 2000, 58% replied that they are a benefit because of their hard work and job skills, while 31% said that they are a burden because they use public services. What accounts for this major change shift in public attitudes? As in the past, anti-immigration sentiment has increased as the economy soured. When economic times are tough, immigrants, particularly those that come to the United States illegally, are perceived as more burdensome. The recent passage of a strict immigration law in Arizona that has pushed this issue to the forefront of the President’s domestic agenda would lend support to this view.