Most Favor Immigration Police Checks, Tough Sanctions on Those Who Hire or Rent to Illegal Immigrants

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Alabama this month became the latest state to authorize routine police checks of immigration status and to require employers to verify that those they hire are in this country legally. Voters continue to strongly support tougher enforcement in both areas.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of Likely U.S. Voters favor strict sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Just 22% are opposed, while another 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Fifty-nine percent (59%) still agree that if a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally. Thirty-three percent (33%) oppose police checks of this kind.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of voters favor strict government sanctions on landlords who rent or sell property to illegal immigrants. Thirty-two percent (32%) oppose landlord sanctions like these. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure.

Data released earlier shows that 65% of all voters feel that employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants are a bigger problem than the illegal immigrants who are seeking a job. Sixty-one percent (61%) favor shutting down companies that knowingly and repeatedly hire illegal immigrants.

“Americans are more comfortable going after those who profit from illegal immigration rather than individual illegal immigrants,â€