Despite the innumerable contributions that immigrants have made in the U.S., a new Pew Research Center poll reveals that the majority of Republican voters view immigrants as a "burden" on the U.S. economy.

The Pew survey, which polled 2,002 adults in mid-May, found that 63 percent of Republican voters consider immigrants a "burden" when it comes to competing for jobs, housing and health care. In addition, 58 percent of Republican respondents said that granting immigrants with legal status is like giving them a "reward for doing something wrong" or breaking the law.

On the other hand, 62 percent of Democratic voters agree that immigrants "strengthen our country because of their hard work and talents," while 57 percent of Independents said that immigrants "strengthen" America overall. 

The poll also shows that 72 percent of American voters support a path to legalization for immigrants who are living in the country illegally. When broken down by Party, the poll revealed that 56 percent of Republicans say they support a path to legalization, while 53 percent of conservative voters support the idea of letting undocumented immigrants stay in the country.

Eighty percent of Democrats and 76 percent of Independents also said that immigrants living in the country illegally should be granted legal status. In comparison, an overwhelming 86 percent of Hispanic respondents support legalization.

Republican respondents also seemed split over the issue of citizenship versus permanent residency. Pew found that 25 percent support citizenship while 28 percent prefer permanent residency. Democrats, however, back citizenship by a 48-27 margin, while Independents favor it by a 48-25 margin.

The Pew poll also states that among Republicans, "42 percent think legal immigration into the U.S. should be decreased, compared with 34 percent who think it should be kept at its present level and just 21 percent say it should be increased." In contrast, only 27 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of Independents think legal immigration should be decreased.