Thread: Poll: Arkansans Favor Hard Line, Some Leniency on Illegal

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/200 ... 37411.html

Poll: Arkansans favor hard line, some leniency on illegal immigration
Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006

By James Jefferson
Arkansas New Bureau
LITTLE ROCK - Arkansans favor deportation and other tough measures to curb illegal immigration but also are open to allowing illegals to stay and work in the United States while pursuing citizenship, the contradictory results of a new poll showed.

A majority of respondents either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that all illegal immigrants should be deported, according to the poll conducted by Opinion Research Associates of Little Rock for the Arkansas New Bureau-Stephens Media.

Two-thirds said illegals should be denied taxpayer-funded social and medical services, and nearly six in 10 agreed that the U.S. border with Mexico should be shut down.

However, 75 percent of respondents also agreed that illegal immigrants who are already employed and otherwise law-abiding should be given guest worker status and provided an opportunity to earn citizenship.

"It doesn't make sense," said Charles Cervantes, president of the Arkansas chapter of the League of Latin American Citizens, adding that it appeared Arkansans were saying, "I can have my cake and eat it, too."

Arkansas has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the nation, thrusting the problem of illegal immigration into the public consciousness from small-town coffee shops to the statewide political arena. It is a major issue in this year's general election races.

Candidates said the poll results reflect a populace trying to come to grips with possible solutions.

"Clearly, they want the law enforced, which I agree with, and they want the border secured, but obviously we have to have some practical solution to the workers that are here," said Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, a former federal Department of Homeland Security undersecretary in charge of border security.

"We are struggling to understand the problem and do what's fair," added Rep. Dustin McDaniel of Jonesboro, the Democratic candidate for attorney general. "The people of Arkansas want ... the rules applied, but they also have a sense of conscience and want to do the right thing."

Zac Wright, spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Beebe, said the poll numbers did not make a difference in Beebe's position that "any approach to illegal immigration has to be tough, fair and practical."

Opinion Research conducted the poll Aug. 15-19. The telephone survey of 500 respondents - 125 from each of Arkansas' four congressional districts - has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Results were released Tuesday.

Asked their level of agreement with the statement that all illegal immigrants should be deported, 33 percent of respondents said they strongly agreed and 19 percent somewhat agreed. Another 17 percent somewhat disagreed, 27 percent strongly disagreed and 3 percent said they did not know, were undecided or refused to respond.

On the question of denying illegal immigrants public assistance, 49 percent strongly agreed and 18 percent somewhat agreed, while 13 percent somewhat disagreed, 15 percent strongly disagreed and 5 percent did not respond.

Thirty-six percent of respondents strongly agreed that the border with Mexico should be shut down and 21 percent somewhat agreed. Fourteen percent somewhat disagreed, 24 percent strongly disagreed and 5 percent did not respond.

Conversely, 45 percent of respondents said they strongly agreed and 30 percent somewhat agreed that illegal immigrants who are already working and obeying the law should be admitted to a guest worker program and allowed to stay in this country while pursuing citizenship. Four percent somewhat disagreed, 15 percent strongly disagreed and 5 percent did not respond.

Cervantes, the LULAC president, said the wide swing in responses showed Arkansans are still trying to come to grips with a pervasive problem with no easy solutions.

"There's a hard line here, but you've also got 75 percent saying ... 'They're hard workers, they've been here for awhile, they're applying to the economy, let them stay," said Cervantes, a Little Rock businessman. "We are having a problem with a lot of illegals. The key is to fix the problem, but I don't know if plugging the border is going to stop it. What would be the process of trying to grab everybody and deport them?"

State Sen. Jim Holt, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor who has made illegal immigration a top issue in his campaign, said the poll vindicated his introduction of legislation last year to require proof of citizenship to receive public benefits. The bill, which also would have made it a crime for state employees to fail to report immigration violations, never made it out of committee.

"It's really indicative of what we were trying to do with (SB206). People were trying to say it was extreme, and some still do," Holt said. "But the highest numbers in the poll (were for that issue). Maybe the message we've been trying to relay to people is getting through."

Bud Jackson, spokesman for Democrat Bill Halter, said immigration was an important issue that deserved attention and that Halter also would focus on other issues, such as improving education and creating jobs.

Gunner DeLay, the Republican candidate for attorney general, said the poll results should give pause to McDaniel, who voted in the 2005 legislative session for a bill that would have made the children of undocumented immigrants eligible for college scholarships. The bill passed the House but failed in the Senate.

"I do think strongly that they don't feel like the taxpayers' goody bag should be open wide," DeLay, a former state senator, said.

McDaniel said DeLay was wrong to suggest the 2005 bill would have handed out "free school to anyone who could sneak across the border and make it to Arkansas."

But he added, "Illegal immigration is an adult problem that requires adult solutions. I don't believe in punishing children."

Yes, there is something very wrong with this poll. I see no discussion of a problem with the poll. The focus, they say, is on the attitudes of the people in Arkansas. Sounds like their inquiry on where the problem with the conflicting results may be misdirected.

W

Conversely, 45 percent of respondents said they strongly agreed and 30 percent somewhat agreed that illegal immigrants who are already working and obeying the law should be admitted to a guest worker program and allowed to stay in this country while pursuing citizenship. Four percent somewhat disagreed, 15 percent strongly disagreed and 5 percent did not respond.

That's just it, they're not obeying the law. They came here illegally, they're working illegally, many are driving illegally and if they're working, they likely committed document fraud, a felony.

The federal punishment for illegal entry is deportation. If the laws are to be upheld, they MUST be deported.

We all know that you can get any results you want with a poll. How were the questions worded and what were the choices?

Thirty-six percent of respondents strongly agreed that the border with Mexico should be shut down and 21 percent somewhat agreed. Fourteen percent somewhat disagreed, 24 percent strongly disagreed and 5 percent did not respond.

This is troubling and shows the message is not getting out. No border=no sovereign nation! Is this a difficult concept? Job One is have a United States of America.