Plurality favor lower immigration levels

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PRINCETON, N.J., June 22 (UPI) -- A plurality of U.S. residents say they prefer lower immigration levels over keeping the levels the same or increasing them, a Gallup poll indicated.

Results released Wednesday indicated 43 percent of those surveyed said they preferred lowering immigration levels, while 35 percent said the current levels should maintained. Eighteen percent said they wanted to see increased immigration.

The views are similar to results the Princeton, N.J., polling agency has recorded since 2002, Gallup said.

Democrats and independents were about equally split between favoring decreasing immigration levels and keeping them as they are, while Republicans had a strong preference for decreasing immigration, results indicated.

The majority of respondents, 59 percent, said they still believe immigration is a good thing for the United States, Gallup said. In the history of this Gallup survey, a majority of Americans have consistently believed immigration is a good thing, with a high of 67 percent in 2006, the pollster said.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,020 adults conducted June 9-12. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.