56% Say U.S. Government Policies Encourage Illegal Immigration

Rasmussen Reports
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

U.S. voters want aggressive action to restrict illegal immigration, but they don’t think immigrants should bear the brunt of the enforcement efforts on their own.

Most say the federal government and those hiring illegal immigrants also need to be brought into the discussion.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% say the policies of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally. Only 27% disagree, and 17% are not sure.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters overwhelmingly believe that federal policies encourage illegal immigration. Thirty-two percent (32%) of Democrats agree, but 41% do not.

The view that the federal government is enticing people to violate the law is consistent with earlier surveys.

Among voters who are angry about immigration, 83% are angry at the federal government. Only 12% direct their anger at the immigrants.

Voters want the laws of the land enforced but not just against illegal immigrants.

The new survey finds that 64% believe law enforcement officers should sometimes conduct surprise raids at places where immigrants gather to find work. An even larger number (71%) say those who do the hiring also should be arrested.

Earlier surveys have shown that voters overwhelmingly believe that those who employ illegal immigrants should be punished.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona has aggressively enforced laws against illegal immigration including raids of places where illegal immigrants gather to seek work. He is viewed favorably by 68% of Arizona voters, making him one of the state’s most popular political figures. Most in the state say the tough sheriff has been good for the state’s image.

However, Arpaio's activities have drawn greater scrutiny under the Obama administration. His department is now being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for alleged racial profiling in its street sweeps for illegal immigrants. Similar profiling concerns have prompted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to limit Arpaio's ability to arrest suspected illegal immigrants under federal law. His officers will still be allowed to check the immigration status of people brought into their jail on other charges but will no longer be able to conduct street patrols specifically looking for illegal immigrants.

Only 33% of voters nationwide want the federal government to place such restrictions on local law enforcement officers. Forty-six percent (46%) do not while 21% are not sure. Part of the resistance is likely due to the fact that voters are skeptical of the federal government’s enforcement efforts. In fact, 74% say the government is not doing enough to secure the borders.

But 61% are at least somewhat concerned that efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants also will end up violating the civil rights of some U.S. citizens.

On immigration, there has consistently been a large gap between Mainstream America and the Political Class. The biggest point of disconnect between voters and the conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C. has to do with priorities.

Almost always in Washington, the debate begins with a focus on how to address the status of illegal immigrants already in the country. To voters, that is a secondary concern. Controlling the borders is their top concern. That hasn’t changes since the 2006 immigration legislation collapsed when the U.S. Senate surrendered to public opinion. During that debate, a New York Times/CBS poll found that 69% believed illegal immigrants should be prosecuted and deported.

What is often lost in the debate over immigration reform is that once the borders are controlled, most Americans favor a welcoming immigration policy provided it is done within the law. Republicans are more supportive than Democrats of such a policy. Overall, by a 55% to 27% margin, Americans favor a policy goal that would welcome everyone except criminals, national security threats and welfare dependants.

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