Pew Poll: Americans Have Contradictory Views on Immigration
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The idea of changing the constitution to bar the children of illegal immigrants from becoming citizens also remains unpopular, according to the poll. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) oppose changing the Constitution for this purpose, a figure that has changed little since 2006.
Americans have contradictory views on illegal immigration to this country, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday.
On one hand Americans continue to favor tough measures to crack down on illegal immigration, yet at the same time they see no contradiction in supporting a way for people already in the United States to gain citizenship.
The findings put the issue in a totally different light. In essence the poll shows that Americans want both stepped-up security on the border and at the same time some type of amnesty plan that would give those already living in this country an opportunity to legalize their status.
The idea of changing the constitution to bar the children of illegal immigrants from becoming citizens also remains unpopular, according to the poll. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) oppose changing the Constitution for this purpose, a figure that has changed little since 2006.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Feb. 2-7 among 1,385 adults on issues dealing with illegal immigration, finds that:
· Forty two percent of those polled believe the priority should be to tighten border security and more strictly enforce immigration laws, but at the same time also create a way for people here illegally to become citizens if they meet certain conditions. Somewhat fewer (35%) put priority only on better border security and stronger enforcement, while 21% say the priority should be to find a way for illegal immigrants to become citizens.
· At the same time, the public remains supportive of Arizona’s controversial immigration law. Roughly six-in-ten (61%) approve of the law, which would require police to verify the legal status of someone stopped or arrested, if the police suspect that person is in the country illegally.
The study said that these opinions, like other attitudes about illegal immigration, are little changed from last summer.
The study also found that while jobs remain the public’s biggest economic worry, that is not a top concern when talking about illegal immigration. Four-in-ten (40%) say their biggest concern is that illegal immigration places a burden on government services; 27% say their biggest concern is that it hurts American jobs. Far fewer say their biggest concerns are that illegal immigration contributes to crime (9%) or hurts America’s customs and its way of life.
According to the organization, the Pew Research’s annual policy priorities survey in January found that dealing with illegal immigration remains a middle-tier public concern. About half (46%) said it was a top policy priority, placing it far behind the economy (87%), jobs (84%) and a number of other issues.
That study found that opinions about the importance of dealing with illegal immigration — and attitudes toward immigration policies — reflect deep partisan divisions. Fully 61% of Republicans cited dealing with illegal immigration as a top policy priority, compared with 47% of Independents and just 33% of Democrats.
In the new poll, 55% of Republicans say that the priority in dealing with illegal immigration should be placed on better border security and stricter enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. This compares with 34% of Independents and just 22% of Democrats.
By contrast, 49% of Democrats and 42% of Independents say the priority should be both tougher border security and creating a way for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. to become citizens if they meet certain requirements. Fewer Republicans (33%) favor this approach.
The most recent study also found that the views on immigration changed with the level of education of the responders. A plurality of college graduates (43%) say the priority should be both better border security and finding a way for illegal immigrants to become citizens. Among those with less education, about as many say the priority should be primarily on better border security as on both objectives.
Opposition to a constitutional amendment to stop granting U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants, though many legal scholars say this will require a constitutional amendment, is particularly strong among Hispanics (73%) and people younger than age 30 (also 73%). About half of whites (52%) oppose such a change (vs. 43% who favor it), and seniors are divided (45% in favor, 48% opposed).
Finally, the poll also found that a solid majority of Americans (61%) continues to approve of the immigration law passed last year in Arizona that requires police to verify the legal status of anyone they detain if they suspect that the person is in the country illegally; 34% disapprove of this law.
The Arizona law is supported by 72% of whites, but only 42% of blacks and just 27% of Hispanics. A majority of Democrats (54%) disapprove of the law, while an overwhelming proportion of Republicans (88%) approve of it. Among Independents, 62% approve and 34% disapprove.
The Americano/Agencies
States should are striving to set-up their own immigration laws, now when it became more discernible that the Federal government is living up to its own policies or completing the border fence amongst other things. Arizona was the first to distinguish this as their great State was first to be overrun by non-English speaking aliens, scrambling for support from Public services. In Contrast is the Sanctuary State of California; the Grand Canyon State never had the financial resources to honor the unfunded federal mandates. Foreign nationals slipped through the border bringing their unborn babies with them, to become a major burden on frontier States, because the courts had said we must monetary pander to anybody who steps on our soil. That’s why the Border States schools are heavily populated with the offspring of illegal aliens, relieving their own countries from educating them; bringing even more poverty to America.
In border States and throughout the country, almost unfunded mandated laws that emergency rooms must give health treatment to anybody who walks through the doors regardless whether they can pay or not; over 60 hospitals and clinics closed their doors, because of insufficient funds to cover the enormous costs in California and Nevada. Judges in the last decade have warned the California prison system that they need to alleviate overcrowding, which is full of illegal alien gangs and some of the most dangerous criminals spawned from the Hispanic countries. Southwestern States have been crippled by the unparalleled migration costing legal citizens and permanent residents hundreds of billions of dollars every year. The new arrivals are nothing like 20th century immigrants coming through Ellis Island, NY or Galveston, Texas as no Social Services existed back then.
Today–impoverished illegal aliens are gutting the welfare system; bringing record numbers of deadly criminals and terrorist from further afield. Business interests in many States have brought politicians, so the border still remains open to some extent, as with silent corruption of underfunding the 2006 Secure Fencing Act within months of being enacted. Keeping the border open and over-stretching the limited resources of US agents patrol ling this war zone is an incessant nightmare. Continually harassed by rock throwing thugs or as now guns aimed at these relentless border protectors; have now been overrun by drug cartels that kill without conscience. The border region once a place of desolate enjoyment, with the sound of high winging birds is now no place for American environmentalist, as large areas of territory are covered with the remnants of human waste, the dregs left by illegal nationals slipping through barriers in some places; barricaded with just a few strands of rusty barbed wire or in locations where no fence exists.
There is no quick fix to this silent invasion that has taken at least two decades, to bring millions of foreigners across our borders or arriving by jet with no intentions of returning to Europe, Asia other continents. Now we must go the distance by joining the TEA Party. We can hold both the Democrats-Liberals and Republicans accountable for the years of abandonment, spending taxpayers money on millions of foreign nationals instead of our infrastructure and the well being of real Americans of every color, race or religion. Arizona’s political leadership finally had devoured enough rhetoric from the powers in Washington, stating that the destitute, uneducated was for the greater good of each States economies; except that illegal aliens was just eroding the safety-net and prospective retirement for senior Americans.
Finally, one decent State not mired in political regression or union interference, who have quietly been catering to illegal immigrants in their midst, so to fortify their dwindling numbers have large numbers in their membership. Assessed their rising financial damage Arizona State Senator Pierce and his Republican retinue authored their own immigration laws, as the federal government just refused to do so. Now undaunted by being sued by Obama’s Department of Justice Czar in the Washington, has shown other States that the DOJ is a lost cause. He is like a mentor for all States who like so many less aggressive. As the political statesman in Washington mull over their own paramount issues, like funding two foreign wars and their satellite military bases, along monolithic spending to satisfy the industrial base and bailout financial institutions. Less qualified to handle large flows of illegal immigrants, have tested their leadership by enacting its own enforcement laws, such as Utah, Georgia, Texas and many other States in far corners of the US. Those States that remains indifferent to The People’s need for relief from supporting illegal foreign families, will be doomed to higher taxes, spiraling crime and the attenuate of their states treasuries. Every State that wants to defend and protect its legal inhabitants needs to mandate nationwide policing laws E-Verify, 287 (G) and Secure Communities to safeguard America’s people.
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