A new study shows that there is growing bi-partisan support among Americans who back a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

According to a poll released by Public Religion Research Institute on Tuesday, 62 percent of Americans are in favor of passing legislation that would offer the 11.7 million undocumented residents a path to citizenship. Seventeen percent of the people surveyed by the non-partisan group support green cards but not citizenship, while only 19 percent think undocumented immigrants should be deported.

"Given how polarized our current political environment is, one of the things that stands out is this is a major issue in the country where there is actual agreement across partisan and religious lines. That's something exceedingly rare in the country today," said Robert Jones, chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The majority of Americans from the Right and the Left support citizenship for the undocumented: 51 percent of Republican voters are in favor, while 17 percent support undocumented immigrants receiving permanent legal resident status. Meanwhile, 70 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Independents show support for granting undocumented immigrants citizenship.

Although most Americans agree that the undocumented population in the U.S. should be allowed to stay in the country, Republicans continue to stall passing immigration reform in the House of Representatives.

"Even amidst inaction by Congress, support for a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally remains remarkably broad," said Jones, reports Politico. "In today's polarized politics, there are few major issues that attract this kind of bipartisan and cross-religious agreement."

Among those who identify with the Tea Party, about 37 percent support a pathway to citizenship, while 23 percent only support green cards. Thirty-seven percent believe in deporting all undocumented immigrants, according to the poll.

Even more Americans -- 68 percent -- would support a path to legal status for young undocumented immigrants if they attend college or join the military.

"There is a shift here in how people are perceiving immigrants in the country," Jones noted.

However, only 26 percent of Americans agree that "reforming the nation's immigration system" should be "the highest priority" for President Obama and Congress. That puts immigration reform behind other national issues like the high unemployment rate, reducing the budget deficit and reducing health costs.