Rush Limbaugh, who has been busy complaining about the Department of Homeland Security's new immigration policy for young undocumented immigrants, today tried to support his views by claiming that Americans “are diametrically opposed” to a plan that would provide undocumented immigrants with an opportunity to legalize their status. Limbaugh stated:

LIMBAUGH: The people of this country are diametrically opposed to amnesty. They don't want any part of it. Obama announced it, and I said, it's not going to help him. Everybody thinks it's gonna -- what he's doing, folks, he has given up on mainstream America. His bet is that his electoral chances are better coalescing all these disparate, extreme fringe groups into one voting block, and he thinks that bunch will outnumber mainstream America. That's what he's counting on.

In reality, not only do a majority of Americans support the new immigration policy, they also favor allowing undocumented immigrants who meet certain conditions to stay here legally.

A December 2011 National Journal poll found that “a substantial majority of Americans say they would prefer to allow some or all illegal immigrants to remain in the United States”:

When asked what should be done with the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants in the country, just 25 percent of those polled said that they should all be deported “no matter how long they have been in the U.S.”

Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said that ill illegal immigrants should be allowed “to stay, provided they have broken no other laws and commit to learning English and U.S. history.” The largest group, at 39 percent, said that the United States should “deport some, but allow those who have been here for many years and have broken no other laws to stay here legally.”

The Journal poll found that 62 percent of Republicans shared that view:

A December 2011 Fox News poll also found that a majority of Republicans believe undocumented immigrants should be able to stay here legally: “A majority of Republicans (57 percent), independents (68 percent) and Democrats (73 percent) said they supported giving undocumented immigrants a path to legalization.” DHS's new immigration policy also enjoys majority support. A Bloomberg News survey found that 64 percent of likely voters agreed with the new enforcement policy.

A poll from conservative firm Rasmussen also found overwhelming support for the Obama administration's immigration policy change: 71 percent of likely U.S. voters “think someone brought to this country illegally when they were under 16 should be allowed to apply for a work permit rather than be deported if they have no criminal record, have graduated from high school or have served in the military.” Rasmussen further reported that 58 percent of Republicans support it as well.