Fewer deportations big issue for Asians, Hispanics

With immigration legislation stalled in Congress, Hispanics and Asian-Americans say getting relief from deportations is more important for many of the 11 million [to 40 million] immigrants here illegally [illegal aliens] than creating a pathway to U.S. citizenship [amnesty], a new study finds.

Two polls released Thursday by the Pew Research Center expose a potential conflict for two minority groups that voted overwhelmingly last year for President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Obama is under pressure from immigration supporters to use his executive power to stop deportations.

Strong majorities of both Hispanics and Asian-Americans continue to back a pathway to citizenship [amnesty], 89 percent and 72 percent, respectively. Still, by 55 percent to 35 percent, Hispanics said being able to live and work in the U.S. legally without the threat of deportation was more important. Among Asian-Americans, the ratio was 49 to 44 percent.

Among both groups, noncitizens are more apt than citizens to consider it important to remove the threat of deportation...

The Pew surveys show that the two minority groups continue to view Obama more favorably than the overall U.S. public. About 54 percent of Hispanics and 62 percent of Asian-Americans say they approve of Obama's job performance. Just 41 percent of the general public say the same...