# Where immigration enforcement draws support

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/politics/where-immigration-enforcement-draws-support/
Published: 2026-05-12

> Featured topic in Politics.

About 44% agree that citizenship criteria should be more restrictive, and 50% agree that the government spends too little to reduce illegal immigration.

## Overview: Immigration enforcement

More adults agree than disagree that the criteria for obtaining US citizenship should be more restrictive.

The same pattern appears on enforcement spending: about 50% agree that the government is spending too little to reduce illegal immigration, while 20% disagree.

## Restrictive citizenship criteria draw more agreement

About 44% agree that the criteria for obtaining US citizenship should be more restrictive.

About 26% disagree, while 22% neither agree nor disagree.

## Enforcement spending also draws support

About 50% agree that the government spends too little money to reduce illegal immigration.

About 20% disagree, and 22% neither agree nor disagree.

## The two measures point in the same direction

The paired results do not measure the same policy, but both show a larger agreement side than disagreement side on restrictive or enforcement-focused immigration statements.

## Supporting evidence

### 44% agree that citizenship criteria should be more restrictive.

Question: The criteria for obtaining US citizenship should be more restrictive.

Note: Shows views on whether US citizenship criteria should be more restrictive.

Topline:

- Strongly agree: 25.0%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 22.2%
- Somewhat agree: 18.4%
- Somewhat disagree: 14.1%
- Strongly disagree: 11.7%
- Don’t know: 5.2%
- No answer: 3.3%

### 50% agree that the government spends too little to reduce illegal immigration.

Question: The government is spending too little money to reduce illegal immigration.

Note: Shows views on whether the government spends too little to reduce illegal immigration.

Topline:

- Strongly agree: 30.5%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 22.2%
- Somewhat agree: 19.3%
- Somewhat disagree: 10.3%
- Strongly disagree: 9.2%
- Don’t know: 5.5%
- No answer: 2.9%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2024-10-01 → 2024-10-11
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.4%
- Module: pol
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Sources

- [How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The criteria for obtaining US citizenship should be more restrictive.](https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#opinion-on-citizenship-criteria-becoming-more-restrictive): verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co: Shows views on whether US citizenship criteria should be more restrictive.
- [How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The government is spending too little money to reduce illegal immigration.](https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#government-spending-on-illegal-immigration-reduction): verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co: Shows views on whether the government spends too little to reduce illegal immigration.

## Citation

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2024-103, fielded October 1-11, 2024, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.4%.

Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#opinion-on-citizenship-criteria-becoming-more-restrictive](https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#opinion-on-citizenship-criteria-becoming-more-restrictive)