A Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters nationwide shows a majority want some method available to give immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally a path to legal status.

The poll shows 64% of respondents believe that a path to legal status for most immigrants would be appropriate. That's a sizable increase from the last time the polling service asked the question.

Last December, 55% of American voters wanted a legal status option for illegal immigrants, with 36% indicating their preference was for deporting illegal aliens. The new poll shows the number of people preferring deportation has fallen to 31%.

The university poll managers reported a clear distinction between the feelings of Republicans, Democrats, and independents in poll results.

For example, 89% of Democrats said they want an opening for legal status, compared with just 8% who would deport illegal aliens. Among Republicans, 31% prefer giving most illegal aliens a legal status option, with 61% favoring deportation. Independents responding to the survey had 71% favoring a legal status pathway, with 24% who preferred deportation.

Illegal immigration is a hot-button issue for most Americans. President Donald Trump called for closed borders and strict immigration enforcement in his campaign last year. Enforcement efforts since his inauguration have come close to closing the southern border.

But deportation efforts have led to significant political skirmishes in Washington and protests and riots in several parts of the country. While some courts have moved to block Trump's strategies, the Supreme Court has moved more slowly. In some cases, the justices have ruled in favor of Trump's policies.

The poll asked respondents specifically about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been doing its job: 56% say they disapprove, and 39% say they approve.

The numbers are widely split based on voters' political affiliation: 77% of Republicans approve of ICE enforcement efforts, while 32% of independents approve and only 9% of Democrats support ICE enforcement.

The nationwide survey of 979 self-identified registered voters was taken June 22-24. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

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