New Hampshire Voters Oppose Amnesty in ‘Build Back Better’

Nearly two-thirds of voters in New Hampshire oppose an amnesty provision for illegal immigrants in the “Build Back Better” legislation, which is supported by the state’s Democratic senators.

A new telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and Numbers USA finds that just 28% of Likely New Hampshire Voters approve of a provision in the Build Back Better bill that would offer 10 years of work permits and legal status to approximately 8 million illegal immigrants. Another 14% would only support the proposed 10-year amnesty if it includes provisions to stop future illegal immigration. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say no amnesty should be considered until the border is under control, while 26% oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants under any condition. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The House of Representatives last month passed the $2-trillion spending bill, which Democrats hope to enact through a “reconciliation” procedure to overcome a Senate filibuster.  Only 35% of New Hampshire voters generally support the Build Back Better bill, while 50% oppose it. Another 14% are not sure.

By nearly a 2-to-1 margin (54% to 28%) New Hampshire voters said they would be inclined to vote against a member of Congress who supported the amnesty provision in the Build Back Better bill. Voter opposition could put pressure on New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who is expected to face a tough reelection battle next year. “Having won election to the Senate in 2016 by only 1,017 votes, Sen. Hassan is already considered one of the most vulnerable Senators in the 2022 elections,” said Roy Beck, President of the NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation, which sponsored the poll. “She will not make herself more popular by backing an amnesty that does nothing to control the current chaos at the border or to reduce illegal migration in the future.”

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The survey of 801 New Hampshire Likely Voters was conducted on December 7-9, 2021 by Rasmussen Reports and Numbers USA. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

While 67% of Democratic voters in New Hampshire say they support the Build Back Better legislation, the bill is opposed by 76% of Republicans and 48% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the state’s Democratic voters – but only 11% of Republicans and 25% of unaffiliated voters – support the provision that offers legal status and work permits for up to 8 million illegal immigrants without any extra enforcement to gain control of the country’s border with Mexico or to deter future illegal migration.

About 200,000 foreign migrants have been illegally crossing the border from Mexico each month since President Joe Biden took office. Seventy-three percent (73%) of New Hampshire voters are concerned about the level of illegal crossings, including 56% who are Very Concerned. Just 26% are not concerned about the level of illegal border crossings. While majorities of every partisan category are concerned about the level of migrants illegally crossing the border, fewer Democrats (26%) than Republicans (82%) or unaffiliated voters (54%) say they’re Very Concerned.

Among other findings of the survey:

– By roughly a 2-to-1 margin, more New Hampshire voters (61%) believe the amnesty provision in the Build Back Better bill would encourage more illegal border crossings than think it wouldn’t make much difference (29%).

– Fifty-nine percent (59%) of New Hampshire voters – including 76% of black voters and 62% of Hispanics – believe the federal government should adopt stricter policies to reduce the flow of illegal crossings from Mexico.

– By nearly a 3-to-1 margin, New Hampshire voters oppose current U.S. immigration policy which allows documented immigrants to bring in not just their spouse and children but also eventually other adult relatives that can include extended family and their spouses’ families. Just 22% favor the current policy, while 64% think documented immigrants should be able to bring only their spouse and children with them.

– President Biden’s strongest supporters are also the most likely to support the amnesty provision in the Bill Back Better bill. Among New Hampshire voters who Strongly Approve of Biden’s job performance as president, 69% approve of the provision to offer work permits and legal status to illegal immigrants. By contrast, among those who Strongly Disapprove of Biden’s performance, only five percent (5%) approve of the provision, while 44% say no amnesty should be considered until the border is under control, and another 47% oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants under any condition. 

West Virginia voters overwhelmingly oppose an amnesty provision for illegal immigrants in the “Build Back Better” legislation, bolstering Democratic Sen. Joe Machin’s opposition to the measure.

Barely one-fifth of Arizona voters support efforts by Democrats to include an amnesty provision for illegal immigrants in the “Build Back Better” legislation currently pending in Congress, and most would vote against a member of Congress who supports the proposed amnesty.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.

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