Fifty-five percent of Republicans think increased deportations are a good thing. Sixty-five percent of tea party Republicans think the same. Because many conservatives considered the GOP primary loss of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) last month as a symptom of his support for immigration reform, however accurate that analysis might be, it won’t be surprising if more Republicans voice similar sentiments in the coming months.

It also won’t be surprising if Republicans don’t say anything on the subject. When Mitt Romney discussed “self-deportation” in a 2012 Republican presidential primary debate, the Republican National Committee called the comment “horrific.” Former Florida governor Jeb Bush called crossing the border illegally for family reasons an “act of love,” a comment that was quickly met with complaints. Karl Rove said Bush’s remarks were “inartful.” Good press usually does not follow when Republicans decide to talk about deportation…

When Pew asked whether undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay legally, 64 percent of Republicans and 56 percent of tea party Republicans said they should.