Poll: Voters Split Over Immigration Debate
June 25th, 2006 @ 11:34am
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A new poll shows voters in Utah's 3rd Congressional District are equally split in the debate over solving the problem of illegal immigration.

The Deseret Morning News poll found 47 percent of voters surveyed support a combined effort of enforcement and pathways to legal immigrant status, while 44 percent said they preferred an enforcement-only strategy.

But the Dan Jones & Associates poll of 617 registered voters from the district has a 4 percent margin of error, making it difficult to analyze voter differences, the newspaper reported Sunday.

Five percent of those polled said they did not prefer either option, while 4 percent said they didn't know.

Solving the illegal immigration puzzle has become the pivotal issue in the primary race between 3rd District incumbent Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and his challenger, Republican John Jacob.

The same survey showed Cannon with a 46-to-33 percent lead over Jacob. Eighteen percent of poll respondents were undecided heading into Tuesday's primary.

The U.S. House and Senate are at a stalemate over immigration reform. A House proposal calls for tougher border security and stricter enforcement of immigrations laws, while the Senate has passed legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the U.S.

Jacob said he was surprised the poll reflected a lower percentage of support for enforcement-only strategies, but said the response may be colored by the complexity of the issue.

"They understand a wall, they understand sending illegal immigrants back. They're not clear on what amnesty means, or guest worker," Jacob said.

Poll respondents who support enforcement-only proposals placed the candidates in a dead heat. Forty-two percent said they would vote for Jacob and 41 percent said they'll vote for Cannon.

But of those favoring comprehensive immigration reform, 56 percent said they support Cannon, with 22 percent supporting Jacob.

Jacob picked up endorsements from two national anti-illegal immigration groups Friday, including 9/11 Families for a Secure America and Americans for Legal Immigration political action committee.

Cannon has garnered support from President Bush and received more than $58,000 in contributions from pro-immigration groups, including business political action committees whose members employ immigrants.

------ Information from: The Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com