Immigration is one of those topics that seldom elicit rational discourse. This is emphasized by new research from Rutgers, which highlights how it’s surprisingly common for Americans to simultaneously support strict immigration policies while also wanting the DREAM Act, which provides legal status to some immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
It’s a contradiction that the authors believe not only leads to greater racial resentment, but also a false belief that equality already exists in our society.
“White Americans’ support for punitive immigration policies hurt the very same group for which they support a pathway to legalization,” the researchers say. “Racial resentment and the belief that equal opportunity is already available to all, known as anti-egalitarianism, are predispositions that underscore American values such as work ethic, meritocracy and individualism. The same values that lead people to support restrictive immigration policies also lead them to support the DREAM Act.”
Contradictory views
The research found that as far back as 2012, some 48% of white Americans supported the DREAM Act at the same time as also supporting police enforcement of immigration. Of this group, around 19% identified as Democrats, 40% as Independents, and the remaining 41% as Republicans.
The researchers suggest that this dichotomy among white Democrats is driven by the twin belief that both opportunity and equality already exists, and a general sense of racial resentment. Among white Republicans, by contrast, it is mainly driven by racial resentment.
They go on to suggest that white American’s belief in these seemingly opposing beliefs can override partisanship. According to the data, Democrats (0.58), Independents (0.69) and Republicans (0.75) who support the DREAM Act and oppose sanctuary cities, a term applied to jurisdictions with policies designed to limit involvement in federal immigration enforcement actions, have higher levels of racial resentment than Democrats (0.24), Independents (0.34) and Republicans (0.59) who support the DREAM Act and support sanctuary cities.
“Support for the DREAM Act is a great start but ultimately not enough to diminish the indirect effects of other immigration policies,” the researchers conclude. “Immigration reform at-large will continue to struggle in Congress if white Americans continue to be driven by the values of meritocracy and work ethic and define equality as equality of opportunity without regard to structural barriers. This is especially the case for Democrats and Independents.”
