Lives disrupted: more than 90 million adults in the US feel the direct blow of Trump’s immigration policy

A new study from The Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center of more than 2,500 adults in the US reveals that approximately 6 out of 10 say that the country used to be a great place for immigrants, but it’s not anymore.

Around one third of American adults —and more than half of Hispanic adults—say that in the past year they, or someone they know, have begun to carry proof of their immigration status or U.S. citizenship, have been detained or deported, have changed travel plans, or have significantly modified their routines, such as avoiding work, school, or leave homedue to their immigration status.

The survey comes as the Supreme Court considers whether the Trump administration should be allowed to restrict citizenship by birth, as well as after months of extensive application of immigration laws and mass deportations of immigrants.

The Missouri Retiree, Reid Gibson, an independent, is furious about the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants.

He hopes the United States will become more welcoming to immigrants over time, but worries that “it may take many years to reverse the damage the Trump administration has inflicted” with its policies.

The survey reveals that many Americans know someone who has been affected by Trump’s approach. That includes Gibson’s stepdaughter, who, he says, he started carrying his passport for fear that her darker skin would make her a target for immigration raids.

“It’s just wrong,” Gibson, 72, added. “This is no longer a good country for immigrants.”

Many adults in the US They have adapted their lives given the increase in the application of immigration laws during the last year, while Trump increased detentions and sought to carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States.

Democrats are more likely than independents or Republicans to know someone affected, and those with a personal connection are more likely to say the U.S. is no longer a great place for immigrants.

Kathy Baileya 79-year-old Democrat from Illinois, has seen the administration’s immigration policies leak in the swimming class of his small town which he attends regularly.

He said two women in the class—both naturalized U.S. citizens— They have started carrying their passports when they leave home. Bailey says one of the women, who is from Latin America, has been especially concerned about attracting attention in a largely white community.

“She’s an American citizen now, but she’s so afraid she has to carry her passport,” Bailey said. “It’s just another sweet grandma swimming at 5 in the morning.”

Approximately 6 in 10 Hispanic adults say they or someone they know have been impacted by immigration enforcement in this way, a much higher number than among black or white adults.

“This is terrible for these women!” Bailey said. “I am stunned by what we are experiencing.”

Nick Grivas40, of Massachusetts, said his grandfather’s own immigration to the U.S. from Greece has made him feel the impact of the president’s policies. It’s part of the reason he believes the U.S. has stopped being a promising place for people looking for a new life.

“We can see how we are treating children and the children of immigrants, and we are not seeing them as potential future Americans,” Grivas said.

Approximately 3 in 10 American adults say the US is a great place for immigrantsaccording to the survey, while about 1 in 10 say they never were. The belief that America is no longer great for immigrants is most common among Democrats and independents, as well as those born outside the US.

Grivas, a Democrat, fears that federal anti-immigration policies could stagnate the country by discouraging newcomers from investing in their local communities, especially if they don’t believe they will be allowed to stay.

“You’re less willing to commit to the project if you don’t think you’re going to be able to stay,” he said.

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments over President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship by declaring that children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily are not U.S. citizens.

Around two-thirds of American adults in survey they say that automatic citizenship must be granted to all children born in the country, a view that most Democrats and independents support.

Republicans are more skeptical: only 44% support citizenship by birth. The survey also shows that some people are conflicted, saying generally that they support birthright citizenship but also that they oppose it in some specific circumstances.

Among those who oppose automatic citizenship is Linda Steele, a 70-year-old woman from Florida, who believes that only children born to U.S. citizens should be granted citizenship.

Steele, a Republican, does not believe that foreigners living legally in the U.S. — whether for work or other reasons — should be able to have a child who automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. “That shouldn’t be allowed,” he said. “They’re just here visiting or going to school.”

When asked about some specific circumstances, about 6 in 10 American adults say they support birthright citizenship for children born to parents with legal U.S. tourist visas, while only half support it for those born to parents who are in the country illegally.

An even larger share, 75%, support automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country legally on work visas, and much of that increased support comes from Republicans who see this as an acceptable situation.

Kevin Craig, 57, of Wilmington, North Carolina, doesn’t believe citizenship should be granted automatically. Craig, who leans conservative, believes there should be “at least some opportunity for intervention by a human being who can make some kind of judgment.”

But he added: “I think my personal opinion is that I can’t think of a situation where it wouldn’t be granted.”

The AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Fuente: Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.