This chapter explores whether U.S. adults worry about being asked to prove their U.S. citizenship or immigration status during their daily routine and if they believe deportations of immigrants living in the United States illegally will make their lives better or worse.
Do people worry they or someone close to them might be deported?
About one-in-five U.S. adults (19%) say they worry a lot or some that they, a family member or a friend could be deported.
By nativity
- One-in-three immigrants in the country worry they or someone close to them could be deported.
- By comparison, 16% of U.S.-born adults share this worry.
By race and ethnicity
- 42% of Latinos say they worry they or someone close to them might be deported.
- By contrast, 19% of Black and Asian adults and 12% of White adults say they worry they, a family member or close friend might be deported.
By age
- About one-in-four adults ages 18 to 29 (25%) and ages 30 to 49 (24%) say they worry they or someone close to them could be deported.
- Fewer ages 50 to 64 (14%) or 65 and older (11%) share this worry.
By political party
- 27% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents worry they or someone close them might be deported.
- A lower share of Republicans and Republican leaners (10%) say the same.
Do people worry about being asked to prove their citizenship or immigration status during their daily routine?
Some 13% of U.S. adults say they are at least somewhat worried about being asked to prove their U.S. citizenship or immigration status during their day-to-day activities, including 5% who say they are extremely or very worried.
By nativity
- 30% of U.S. immigrants say they are worried about being asked to prove their U.S. citizenship or immigration status during their daily activities, higher than the share among U.S.-born adults (9%).
By race and ethnicity
- 31% of U.S. Latinos say they worry about being asked to prove their citizenship or immigration status in the country, while 24% of Asian adults and 20% of Black adults say the same.
- By contrast, 5% of White adults share this worry.
By age
- 19% of adults ages 18 to 29 worry about being asked to prove their U.S. citizenship or immigration status during their regular activities.
- Fewer adults 65 and older (6%) share this worry.
By political party
- 19% of Democrats say they worry at least somewhat about being asked to prove their U.S. citizenship or immigration status during their daily routine.
- By comparison, 7% of Republicans share this worry.
Have people made recent changes in their lives due to worry they will be asked about their citizenship or immigration status?
Some U.S. adults say that in the month prior to taking the survey, they made changes in their day-to-day lives due to worry of being asked about their U.S. citizenship or immigration status.
- 4% say they began to carry a document that proves their U.S. citizenship or immigration status (such as a passport, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization certificate) during their daily activities.
- 2% made changes in their daily schedule or routine.
In addition, some groups are more likely than U.S. adults overall to say they began to carry a document that proves their U.S. citizenship or immigration status.
- Latinos (12%) are more likely than White (1%), Black (4%) or Asian (7%) adults to say they recently started carrying a document that proves their status in the country.
- Immigrants (12%) are more likely than those who are U.S. born (2%) to say they recently began to carry such documents.
Do people believe deportations will impact prices in their communities?
When asked about the potential effects deportations of immigrants in the country illegally might have on prices in their local area, 42% of U.S. adults say it will lead to a rise in food prices, while 23% say it will have no effect and 23% are not sure.
Lower shares say deportations will increase prices of other things in their area.
- 26% of U.S. adults say consumer goods prices will increase in their area, while 33% say deportations will have no effect.
- 19% say housing prices will increase due to deportations, whereas 31% say they will have no effect and 22% say housing prices in their local area will fall due to deportations.
- 13% say health care prices will increase in their area. By contrast, 32% say deportations will have no effect on these prices and 25% say prices will decrease.
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say local prices will increase in all these sectors due to deportations of immigrants in the country illegally. For example, most Democrats (64%) say food prices will increase due to deportations, while 19% of Republicans say the same.
Immigrants living in the country illegally make up about 4.8% of the U.S. workforce and account for a larger share of workers in the agriculture, construction and service sectors. Other research has shown that deporting workers in these sectors has the potential to drive up food prices.
Do U.S. adults believe deportations will have a positive or negative impact in their lives?
About as many U.S. adults say deportations of immigrants living in the country illegally will make their lives better (29%) as say they will make their lives worse (27%). More (43%) say deportations will make no difference in their lives.
Still, differences in the shares who say deportations will make life better or worse do emerge among some groups.
By race and ethnicity
- 37% of Hispanic adults say deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally will make their lives worse.
- By comparison, lower shares of White (24%), Black (25%) and Asian (28%) adults say the same.
By age
- 35% of those ages 18 to 29 say deportations will make their lives worse.
- By contrast, 20% of those 50 and older say deportations will make their lives worse.
By political party
- 43% of Democrats say deportations will make their lives worse and 9% say they will make their lives better.
- By contrast, half of Republicans say deportations will make their lives better and 11% say they will make their lives worse.
