Millennials, the largest demographic in the country, overwhelmingly disapprove plans to deport all undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S.

Based on the latest national poll by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) International, millennials, an age group largely comprising of Americans between 18 and 34 years old, said the government's top priority in regards to immigration should be to provide employed immigrants with legal status. With 64 percent, millennials said allowing immigrant with jobs to stay in the U.S. legally should be a top policy goal, while 26 percent wants a plan to stop illegal immigration. Nine percent of millennials said deporting illegal immigrants should be the government's main priority.

As a second option, most millennials would then want the government to determine a plan to stop illegal immigrants (61 percent), while 21 percent want deportation enforcement, followed by 16 percent allowing immigrants with jobs to stay in the country legally.

When speaking asked if the government should deport all undocumented people currently in the U.S., most millennials said no. With 76 percent, millennials said the government "should not" deport all people currently living in the country illegally, but 23 percent favored a deportation plan. The majority of millennials agreed it is not possible to deport all undocumented immigrants, 91 percent, while 9 percent believe it is possible.

If the government was to deport all undocumented immigrants, 62 percent of millennials said the U.S. economy would be negatively affected. Nineteen percent of millennials said the immigrants' deportation would help the economy, although, narrowly, 18 percent said it would not make a difference.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has proposed a mass deportation plan. He said his plan would be humane and save the country billions of dollars. As Latin Post reported, American Action Forum (AAF), a center-right policy institute organization, estimated the mass deportation plan would cost between $419.6 billion and $619.4 billion in a span of 20 years. According to the real estate businessman, it cost $130 billion a year to keep current undocumented immigrants, adding "that's peanuts compared to the real cost."

Fellow Republican presidential candidates and even President Barack Obama have criticized the mass deportation proposal.

"The notion that we're gonna deport 11, 12 million people from this country -- first of all, I have no idea where Mr. Trump thinks the money's gonna come from," Obama told ABC News's George Stephanopoulos last month. "It would cost us hundreds of billions of dollars to execute that."

Obama added, "Imagine the images on the screen flashed around the world as we were dragging parents away from their children, and putting them in what, detention centers, and then systematically sending them out. Nobody thinks that that is realistic. But more importantly, that's not who we are as Americans."

Ben Carson said the mass deportation plan "may sound good to some people. But it's not pragmatic." He told The Examiner, "It also affects the farming industry, the hospitality industry. So, you know, we have to be pragmatic as a nation. There's no reason that they should have to live in the shadows."

"[Trump's plan] would tear communities apart, and even having this conversation sends a powerful signal. They're doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign when they hear this. We have to win the presidency. The way you win the presidency is have practical plans," former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush during the fourth GOP presidential debate.

The CNN and ORC International poll was conducted between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1.

__

For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.