Pew Research Center — Race & Ethnicity — Birthright citizenship, deportation worries and Trump’s 2024 voter coalition

Pew Research Center — Race & Ethnicity — Birthright citizenship, deportation worries and Trump’s 2024 voter coalition

July 3, 2025

Race & Ethnicity

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U.S. public is split on birthright citizenship for people whose parents immigrated illegally

Half of U.S. adults say people born in the United States to parents who immigrated illegally should have U.S. citizenship, while 49% say they should not. By contrast, nearly all say people born in the country to U.S.-born parents (95%) or to parents who immigrated legally (94%) should be citizens.

About 1 in 4 U.S. adults worry they or someone close to them could be deported

Overall, 23% of U.S. adults say they worry a lot or some that they or someone close to them could be deported. Immigrants (43%) are more likely than U.S.-born adults (19%) to say this. Meanwhile, 34% of U.S.-born adults with at least one immigrant parent (second-generation Americans) are worried about the personal impact of deportations, as are 17% of those with U.S.-born parents (third or higher generation).

Behind Trump’s 2024 victory, a more racially and ethnically diverse voter coalition

Donald Trump won back the presidency with a voter coalition that was more racially and ethnically diverse than in 2020 or 2016. Among Hispanic voters, Trump battled to near parity (51% voted for Kamala Harris, 48% for Trump) after losing to Joe Biden 61%-36% in 2020. Trump won 15% of Black voters, up from 8% four years earlier. He also did better among Asian voters, winning 40% of their vote even as a majority (57%) backed Harris. Naturalized U.S. citizens who voted in the election split their votes about evenly.

Media mentions

Trump’s deportation efforts could impact these industries and states that rely on undocumented workers

CBS News

Birthright Citizenship: What Polls Show About Americans’ Views

Newsweek

Where the fight for reparations stands

Marketplace

From our research

28%

The share of U.S. residents who are immigrants or are U.S. born and have at least one immigrant parent.

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