Latest UCI-OC Poll reveals majority supports reform over deportation
At a time when immigration policy dominates national headlines, Orange County residents are sending a clear message to policymakers: the current immigration system needs reform.
According to the latest UCI-OC Poll released today, an overwhelming 89% of Orange County residents seek changes to the current immigration system, with a majority supporting more open policies.
The findings include:
- 89% of Orange County residents want changes to current immigration policy
- 60% believe undocumented immigrants should have a path to legal status
- 75% of residents under 35 support legal status vs. 48% of those over 65
The poll, which is administered by the University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology, reveals significant partisan and generational divides on immigration policy. While 81% of Democrats and 66% of independents prefer offering undocumented immigrants a path to legal status, 60% of Republicans believe they should be deported to their countries of origin.
Age emerges as another critical factor shaping opinions. Three-quarters of residents under 35 prefer providing legal status opportunities, compared to less than half (48%) of those over 65, highlighting a generational shift in immigration attitudes.
“It's no doubt that current events have raised the profile of immigration policy, and Orange County residents have strong preferences on the issue,” said Jon Gould, dean of UC Irvine's School of Social Ecology and director of the UCI-OC Poll. “These results also reflect the changing nature of Orange County. We are a purple county, where there is a mix of political ideologies.”
The survey was conducted during the last week of June and first week of July 2025, as the Trump Administration intensified immigrant enforcement efforts in Southern California. Despite the heightened enforcement climate, Orange County residents clearly prefer reform over deportation.
“On such a hot button issue as immigration, it is interesting to see not only the partisan and age differences but also the fact that significant majorities of OC residents prefer legal status over deportation,” Gould noted. “These results are unlikely to be reassuring to President Trump’s Administration, which may have been hoping that its crackdown would generate greater support. It will be interesting to follow residents' views over time to see if they change.”
The findings underscore Orange County's evolution as a politically diverse region where immigration policy preferences don't always align with traditional partisan expectations, reflecting the county's changing demographics and political landscape.
About the UCI-OC Poll:
The UCI-OC Poll provides reliable survey data on issues confronting Orange County residents. It also brings business leaders together with elected officials and community members to discuss workable responses to these problems. Whether the challenges concern housing, education, the business climate, sustainability, transportation, crime or many other topics, area leaders are better equipped to navigate the local environment and respond if they have reliable, timely data on the attitudes, priorities and opinions of county residents and a neutral place and convener to consider them. Learn more at sites.uci.edu/ocpoll.