The White House reportedly plans to aggressively push immigration reform in January. Poll: Most back path to citizenship

Americans want amnesty.

A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground poll finds that 62 percent of those surveyed support an immigration reform proposal that would allow illegal or undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship over a period of several years. Thirty-five percent oppose it.


The national poll, conducted last week, finds more Republicans — 49 percent — support a path to citizenship than oppose it — 45 percent. Democrats favor this approach 3-to-1, 74 percent to 24 percent. And independents back it by a 26-point margin, 61 percent to 35 percent.

The poll reveals significantly greater overall support, 77 percent, for an immigration law that allows the children of illegal or undocumented immigrants to earn the right to stay here permanently if they complete a college degree or serve in the military. Just 19 percent oppose this key element of the so-called DREAM Act.

( PHOTOS: 20 quotes on immigration reform)

The White House reportedly plans to aggressively push immigration reform in January after the resolution of the fiscal cliff that will include a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people now living illegally in this country.

A plurality of 48 percent disapproves of President Barack Obama’s handling of the immigration issue, with 45 percent approving. The Democratic incumbent took fire during the campaign from Latinos for not aggressively pushing reform during his first term.

“The public is there for immigration reform,” said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who helped conduct the bipartisan poll. “The Republicans are marginalizing themselves and losing Latino voters, and their own base is not even with them.”

Republican pollster Ed Goeas, who also helped conduct the bipartisan poll, said Romney lost because of “a little bit of everything and not a lot of any one thing.”

The Republican pollster warns against thinking of an immigration reform bill as a panacea.

“Immigration just gets us a seat at the table, that maybe gets them to listen to us,” Goeas said. “It does not get us votes.”

“We need to do it because it’s the right thing to do,” he added, “not to get a constituency.”

Only 2 percent of respondents identified illegal immigration as their most important issue. Seventy percent picked pocketbook matters, including government spending, the economy and jobs.

The POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground poll, conducted by the Tarrance Group and Lake Research Partners, surveyed 1,000 registered likely voters from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.