Current Perceptions of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States

The intent of this thesis is to examine current perceptions that U.S. Americans have about immigrants coming to the U.S. illegally/ undocumented. There is currently an ongoing debate around immigration in today's political climate. Historically, immigration has always happened in the U.S. and has sparked a vast array of feelings from the U.S. population (Obinna 2018). This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on undocumented immigration to the U.S. and opinion surrounding it. The current study uses the opinion of 177 people to compare current perceptions of undocumented people based on gender, income, and political standing. This study found that income was not related to opinion on immigration. Specific questions regarding border control, undocumented immigrants as a problem, and whether children and families should be detained were found to be answered differently based on gender. It also found that those who identified as more conservative-leaning had more negative opinions surrounding undocumented immigrants.