New survey shows Idahoans’ sentiments toward immigrants shifted favorably in the past year
January 8, 2026 3:00 pm
BOISE — The ACLU of Idaho, through its SOMOS program, recently concluded a yearlong study on Idaho’s understanding and sentiments about immigrants and immigration policy. The study showed that baseline attitudes in October 2024 skewed slightly unfavorable in general but rose significantly when asked again in October 2025.
The data from 462 respondents in the Treasure Valley and Magic Valley showed a rise in general favorability toward immigrants from 46% in 2024 to 59% in 2025. This 13-point difference represents all political affiliations, demonstrating that people’s views on immigrants have shifted to be more positive while the state remains politically conservative.
Some notable top lines from the study include:
- 81% of Idahoans support creating pathways to legal status for immigrants who meet work and residency requirements.
- 76% of Idahoans support creating pathways to legal permanent status for DACA recipients.
- More than half of respondents (56%) say immigrants make the country better in the long run, compared to just over two in five (41%) last year.
—These findings should be a wake-up call to our state lawmakers, especially entering into the 2026 legislative session. A significant majority of Idaho (64%) believe deportation should apply only to people who have committed serious crimes. This clearly shows that the state’s work with ICE, its policies, and its anti-immigrant rhetoric are not in alignment with what the majority of constituents want. Idaho lawmakers need to listen.
Ruby Mendez-Mota, ACLU of Idaho Interim Advocacy Director
Even though sentiments toward immigrants in Idaho have generally shifted to be more positive, the study showed that conversations about immigration continue to be dominated by fear-based narratives driven by topics such as crime, employment, and overuse of government resources.
“Unfortunately, rampant misinformation and anti-immigrant rhetoric is one of the primary drivers of unfounded animosity toward our community,” said Libna Luevanos, a lead volunteer at SOMOS. “I'm convinced Idaho is better than this. I am a proud Idahoan and I believe to be a true Idahoan is to care about your neighbors and community. That is the Idaho that SOMOS believes in, and that is the Idaho we can all be if we embrace our diversity.”
For the full ACLU of Idaho Immigration Attitudes Tracking Study, please see the PDF attached to this press release.
Documents
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.