Published: 06/29/10

Report: Many Idahoans worry about illegal immigrants

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Many Idahoans say undocumented workers should not get indigent medical care from counties and strongly support an English-only policy for the state, according to a Boise State University white paper.

The report looks at responses from the school's Public Policy Survey from 2006 and 2007.

Results show:

® More than half of the people responding strongly or somewhat agreed that undocumented immigrants should not receive indigent health care through Idaho counties.

® 54 percent agreed that undocumented immigrants hurt the educational quality for Idaho children.

® 68 percent say the state should have an English-only policy.

® Nearly a third think a strong immigration policy would not hurt the state's economy.

"Our sense is that the presentation of the perceptions of the public related to immigration is only part of the story," Greg Hill, assistant professor of public policy and administration at Boise State, wrote in the report.

"What is clearly missing is any secondary empirical analysis of, for instance, the measurable effects of illegal immigrants on school performance."

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/2 ... about.html