U.S. Hispanics view President Obama much more favorably than the nation's general population, but their support of his immigration policies remains tepid, according to a new poll.
The results of the survey, conducted by the immigrant advocacy group America's Voice, were released a day after Obama praised a bipartisan framework for immigration reform, which could clear a path for a legislative proposal.
Meanwhile, about 50,000 immigration advocates are expected to turn out for a march in Washington D.C. Sunday to highlight the need for reform, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The survey by the immigrant advocacy group America's Voice found that 65 percent of U.S. Hispanics approve of Obama's performance, according to the Wall Street Journal. In comparison, about 50 percent of the general public views his presidency favorably, according to a Gallup poll in December.
Conversely, about a third of Hispanics disapprove of Obama, rating his performance as "mediocre" or "poor," compared to 44 percent of the general population.
On immigration, Hispanics are more frustrated with Obama's performance, with just 50 percent giving him favorable ratings. About 51 percent of Hispanics said immigration reform is a "very important" issue.
As the number of Hispanics in America has swelled, so too have their voting ranks. The United States is now home to about 45 million Hispanics, or 15 percent of the general population, according to the U.S. Census. That's up from about 35 million in 2000. About 11 million Hispanics are illegal immigrants, and a reform bill would address whether and how to create a path to citizenship for them, as well as secure the border and crack down on employers who exploit them.
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of voting Hispanics has surged from about 6 million to 10 million.
The survey interviewed 1,012 Hispanic voters in a dozen states, the Journal reported.
