Majorities view a number of immigration policy goals as 'important" but not a U.S-Mexico border wall % saying that each is a goalfor US immigration policy
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, the public views one of his signature campaign promises – the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border – as a less important goal for immigration policy than several other objectives, such as cracking down on visa overstays.
Asked about eight possible goals for U.S. immigration policy, majorities rate each one as important, except one: Only 39% view building a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border as a very or somewhat important goal.
Most Americans (58%) say it is important to increase the number of deportations of people in the U.S. illegally, another of Trump’s campaign proposals that he has emphasized since winning the election. The latest Pew Research Center estimate puts the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. at 11.1 million.
The most widely supported goal for U.S. immigration policy is to establish stricter policies to prevent people from overstaying visas. Nearly eight-in-ten (77%) view this as an important goal, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Nov. 29-Dec. 12 among 4,138 adults on the nationally representative American Trends Panel.
Majorities view a number of immigration policy goals  | as 'important" but not a U.S-Mexico border wall  | % saying that each is a  | goalfor US immigration policy  | Not at all  | Not too  | Somewhat  | Very  | important  | important  | important  | important  | Establish stricter policies to prevent  | 21  | 46  | 77  | people from overstaying their visas  | Prevent immigrants here fillega lly from  | 25  | 51  | 73  | receiving govt benefits if unqualified  | Allow those who came to ULS illegally as  | 26  | 36  | 72  | children to remain here  | Establish way for most immigrants  | 28 62  | 37  | currently here illegallyto stay legally  | Taking in civilian refugees from countries  | 37 16  | 29 61  | where people are trying to escape  | violence and war  | Increase deportations of timmigrants  | 29  | 40  | 58  | Increase currently deportations in the US illegally of timmigrants  | Encourage more highly skilled people from  | 40 16  | 24  | 58  | around the world to immigrate/work in  | U.S  | Build a wall along the U.S-Mexico  | 59  | 40  | 23 39  | border  | Note: Don'tknow/no answer responses notshown.  | Source: Survey conducted Nov 29. Dec 12 2016.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 