A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that seven-in-ten Americans (71 percent) say there should be a way for illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. if they meet certain requirements, while 27 percent say they should not be allowed to stay legally. There are approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

President Obama recently said he’s confident an immigration reform bill would pass by the end of the summer if a draft of the bill is released in early April.
Most who favor providing illegal immigrants with some form of legal status – 43 percent of the public – say they should be allowed to apply for citizenship, but 24 percent of the public says they should only be allowed to apply for legal residency.

The national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 13-17 among 1,501 adults, finds that overall attitudes about immigrants in the United States are more positive than negative, despite the nation’s struggling economy. –Marisa Palmieri