Americans much less likely to view illegal immigration as hot-button political issue today than 5 years ago
January 24th, 2012A Pew Research Center survey found that illegal immigration has dropped in importance in the 2012 election more than any other issue on the minds of voters. Only 39% of Americans call illegal immigration an important issue, down from 55% in 2007. That’s a bigger drop than crime, the environment and global warming. The economy has moved up 18% in importance and the budget deficit is up 16%. Terrorism has fallen to third, behind the economy and jobs. Overall, illegal immigration ties for 17th on a list of top priorities, tied with strengthening the U.S. military. The only issues less important to voters are global trade, transportation, cutting military spending, campaign finance and global warming.