Thread: Many Iowans back illegal immigrants who work

Iowa Poll: Many Iowans back illegal immigrants who work
By TONY LEYS • © 2008, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company • September 15, 2008

The announcement of criminal charges against leaders of the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant could help ease Iowans' concerns about an immigration raid there, a new Iowa Poll shows.

The Postville plant was the target of a May 12 raid, in which federal agents arrested nearly 400 workers for allegedly being in the country illegally. Critics complained for months that while three-quarters of the workers were sentenced to prison, company executives had not been charged.


The poll, which was under way last week when the state announced charges against the company's owner and four managers, found that many Iowans were displeased with the initial outcome of the raid.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said they thought the raid was a step in the wrong direction because only the workers were punished. Thirty-eight percent said they thought the raid was a step in the right direction, and 8 percent said they were unsure.

The poll, conducted for The Des Moines Register by Selzer & Co. Inc. of Des Moines, has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

The Postville raid drew a torrent of publicity, but the poll found it hasn't altered Iowans' general feelings about how the country should deal with illegal immigrants.

Fifty-four percent of poll participants said the country should find a way to let illegal immigrants stay if they have jobs. Forty percent said such immigrants should be deported. Six percent were unsure. Those are essentially the same results as found in an Iowa Poll in January 2007, when 52 percent said the country should try to find a way to let illegal immigrants stay legally if they have jobs, and 40 percent said such immigrants should be deported.

Agriprocessors' leaders have denied knowingly hiring illegal immigrants or underage workers, but they each face hundreds of state charges of employing minors in dangerous jobs. Two company human resources officials also face federal charges of helping illegal immigrants get false papers.

People with varied views on immigration said in interviews that they agreed with charges against the Agriprocessors' leaders.

Phyllis Kelsey of Eddyville, who participated in the new poll, said she supported the raid when it happened, and she feels more confident about it now that the company's leaders have been charged. She said that in many cases, companies that employ illegal immigrants are the most to blame.

"They should crack down on them more," she said. "If they knew they would be fined, they would stop bringing those people in here."

Kelsey, 71, is a political independent who retired after working for a sand-and-gravel company. She said she sympathizes with immigrants who came here illegally but otherwise have behaved. "I know it's hard on those families," she said. "But you know what? They're breaking the law. If I'm breaking the law, I'm going to be punished."

Heather Thomas, 25, of Windsor Heights disapproved of the federal government's unusual decision to imprison most of the immigrants caught in the Postville raid, instead of just deporting them. She agreed with the government's decision to charge company leaders. "That's probably going to have more of an impact than punishing the workers," Thomas said.

Thomas, who is a social worker and a Democrat, said she supports tightening U.S. borders to slow the flow of illegal immigrants. But she said those who already are here and have found jobs and stayed out of trouble should be given the chance to earn legal status. She said some people oversimplify a complicated issue. "It's a tough question," she said. "I don't envy the politicians at all on this."

Political views appeared to play a significant role in opinions on the raid, with 46 percent of Republicans supporting it, compared with 29 percent of Democrats and 37 percent of independents.

The new poll found a significant partisan split on the issue. Fifty-three percent of Republicans said illegal immigrants should be deported, while 28 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of political independents agreed. Among Democrats, 65 percent said immigrants should be allowed to stay if they have jobs, compared with 40 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of independents.

The issue also splits along gender lines, with 60 percent of women saying employed immigrants should be allowed to stay, compared with 48 percent of men. The poll found that younger voters and people with college educations were more likely to favor allowing employed immigrants to stay, but there was little difference in the opinions of higher-income and lower-income Iowans.

The new poll found that Iowans are split on the outlook for a solution to immigration problems. Forty-six percent of respondents say they are more optimistic about the issue over the next few years. Forty-four percent say they are more pessimistic, and 10 percent are unsure.

Thomas Sullivan, 71, a retired pharmacist from Keosauqua, gave his strongest support to cracking down on companies that employ illegal immigrants. "If we make it so they can't get work or they can't get welfare, they'll go home voluntarily, and we won't have to deport them," said Sullivan, who is a Republican.

Liz Wymore, a substitute teacher from Clinton, also believes employers should be held responsible if they knowingly hire illegal immigrants. "I would be shocked if an employer did not 100 percent know what the law was," she said.

But Wymore said that if immigrants are working and are not causing trouble, the country should find a way to legalize them, "as long as U.S. citizens aren't being put out of work."
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/p ... /809150325

But Wymore said that if immigrants are working and are not causing trouble, the country should find a way to legalize them, "as long as U.S. citizens aren't being put out of work."

They are causing a tremendous strain on social programs, education, medical, every aspect of the economy. Then they depress wages. How is that not causing trouble for US citizens? Illegal aliens need to be deported- every last one of them.

" She said some people oversimplify a complicated issue. "It's a tough question," she said. "I don't envy the politicians at all on this."

Complicated?? That is the first word I ever heard used when I discussed illegal immigration with a friend. He had spent zero time reading, pursuing, understanding the cost to Americans. He was in favor of closing the border tight--but--those who were here should be given a chance to stay and become citizens.
I have since seen the word "complicated" used by many defenders of the illegal aliens who are here. They do not accept that Attrition Through Enforcement works and works well. They all jump on the family separation bone and chew it to pieces.

It is not complicated. Use E-Verify, punish employers. punish employers, punish employers and it illegal immigration will recede rapidly. Punishing the worker is not effective since the pro-illegal supporters will then grant aid to the family that is here and then cost us even more than we are paying now.

PS I would rather pay a little more tax to hire more border guards than to try to be the supporter of the third world and be forced to pay a lot more to illegals.

I guess these people in support of keeping IA's here must not mind being the minority in thier own state or town....

S I would rather pay a little more tax to hire more border guards than to try to be the supporter of the third world and be forced to pay a lot more to illegals.

I agree with that. I wouldn't mind if my tax dollars were spent protecting our citizens....all of them.....vs funding endlessly for one specific group who are here illegally.

Well lets ship them all to Iowa if they love them so much
and any of the other states that the people feel this way !

I am sick of them here in North Carolina and don't want any of them here anymore, Iowa can have them all as far as I am concerned !
Some people just don't have a brain do they ?

Originally Posted by miguelina

But Wymore said that if immigrants are working and are not causing trouble, the country should find a way to legalize them, "as long as U.S. citizens aren't being put out of work."

They are causing a tremendous strain on social programs, education, medical, every aspect of the economy. Then they depress wages. How is that not causing trouble for US citizens? Illegal aliens need to be deported- every last one of them.

Read the entire article, Liz Wymore is a teacher. The teachers union here in CA has supported illegal immigration for years, because it gives them more jobs. Oops except now CA has a $20 billion deficit because of illegals, and some teachers are getting laid off!! These union leaders are less mature than the children they purport to teach.

Ha. I'd like to see a copy of the poll. Pro-illegals have a way to word polls that trip up the poll taker.

ENFORCE THE LAWS. HARSHLY FINE AND IMPRISON THE EMPLOYERS!

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Well lets ship them all to Iowa if they love them so much
and any of the other states that the people feel this way !

And tell me where I can go to get away from it and with people of like minds who won't tolerate it.

Yet another sloppy, misleading poll designed to show that Americans support amnesty. The Des Moines Register must be taking tips from the New York Times et al.

Note the biased phrasing and false choice offered in this poll: either deport them or "find a way for them to stay legally" (i.e., amnesty) "if they have jobs." So typical of agenda-driven MSM polling on this issue.

Rarely do these polls offer the humane and cost effective alternative of "attrition through enforcement," use neutral language or brief, objective context of the tremendous taxpayer costs etc. associated with illegal immigration. When polls do, they show much different and more accurate results.