Thread: Poll: Majority of Americans sympathetic to illegal immigrant

If you really want to make a difference go on congress.org if you can and comment on amnesty. I just did and my email is being forwarded. It is more important than a bias poll.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Yet 77% are concerned that stricter immigration laws would mean illegal immigrants and their families who have lived productively in the United States for years would be forced to leave

Concerned, or happy?

Wonder how the question was asked...

Q.) Do you think this will cause illegals to leave?
A.) Yes

People are concerned.

Immigration poll: People sympathetic but want security

by Alan Gomez - May. 4, 2010 12:00 AM
USA Today
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Two-thirds of Americans want the government to do a better job of securing the borders, but they are sympathetic to illegal immigrants who have been working hard and staying out of trouble, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.

Eight in 10 Americans are concerned that illegal immigrants burden schools, hospitals and other government services, and 77 percent worry that they drive down wages, the poll finds.

Yet 77 percent are concerned that stricter laws would mean illegal immigrants and their families who have lived productively in the USA for years would be forced to leave.

The seeming contradiction reflects the difficulty in grappling with the issue, said Tomas Jimenez, a fellow at the non-partisan New America Foundation.

"On the one hand, they don't like the idea that people are breaking our immigration laws, that it appears we have a southern border that is out of control," Jimenez said. "On the other hand, they think the people coming here who work hard, who have dreams of a better life, are really participating in an American tradition that is as old as this country."

In the poll, 68 percent say it is extremely important or very important to halt the flow of illegal immigrants into the country, and 67 percent say it is extremely or very important to develop a plan to deal with about 12 million illegal immigrants in the USA. Yet 74 percent are somewhat or very concerned that tougher immigration laws would lead to harassment of Hispanics.

Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said the numbers mirror the federation's positions against citizenship for illegal immigrants and for denying them jobs and benefits. "Americans want enforcement, but they're fair-minded," he said.

Ali Noorani of the Reform Immigration for America campaign, which supports a process for some illegal immigrants to become citizens, sees a sympathetic response that recognizes a broken system. "People are frustrated, but they don't want to take their frustrations out on the immigrants," he said.

Other findings:

- Sixty-four percent are sympathetic to illegal immigrants. Of Democrats, 75 percent are sympathetic; among Republicans, 46 percent are.

- Eighty percent of all respondents are very or somewhat concerned that allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the USA might encourage others to move here illegally.

Contributing: Paul Overberg, USA TODAY

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... z0mytdU9qT

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... -poll.html

Just because some might show concern certainly doesn't mean they don't agree illegals should be sent packing. I would certainly like to how they ask the questionon this poll.

Originally Posted by Bettybb

Most recently, a LA Times commissioned poll came out and said in CA that a majority now has switched to being pro amnesty. Again I read the poll. First they used compound questions to get answers that would be ambiguous. Then, looking at the demographics of the people they questioned, it became very apparent that the poll was skewed so that it was basically polling mainly the rich.. ie those who benefit from illegal immigration.

That's it. Since the San Francisco Chronicle began its most recent push for amnesty - editorials and Op Ed pieces - I've been writing letters suggesting that they interview people in housing projects re reserving American jobs for Amerrican workers.

One thing which jumped out from the Chron's Open Borders barrage is that there's not one word in it about the plight of the structurally poor or newly poor. IMO illegals taking jobs from Americans is the third rail of Open Borders politics. None of them want to touch it.

If they did touch it, they'd have to accept that illegals are used to depress wages and that, tho employers get lower cost workers, everybody else pays the price in social disruption and the cost of incarcerating young Americans who can't get a job.

Vistalad,

You have hit the nail right on its head. This is all about the monied elite, both Dem and Repub, wanting open borders, a North American Union, keeping American wages low, so they can profit at our expense.