The equal importance Americans place on the two main immigration challenges does not give government leaders much guidance as to which they should attempt to resolve first if they opt for a piecemeal approach to immigration reform. However, Gallup has historically asked Americans to choose which of the two is more important. Prior to 2012, Americans tended to favor border security, in line with the higher percentages rating it as extremely important. Since then, Americans have tilted in the direction of addressing the status of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. Still, the gap is small, suggesting this is not an overwhelming preference, and that a strategy that attempts to deal with both issues may be preferable.