UPI Poll: Illegal immigrants a 'burden'
WASHINGTON, June 22 (UPI) -- Illegal immigrants are considered to be a "burden" to the United States by nearly half of the participants in a UPI-Zogby International poll.
A June 15-18 Zogby interactive poll sought the opinions of 8,300 U.S. residents regarding immigration in the United States. The Senate is considering immigration reform legislation that would greatly affect an estimated 12 million people illegally in the United States.

Supporters of the aspect of the bill that would create a guest-worker program claim illegal immigrants are in the United States doing jobs -- often menial and low-paying -- U.S. workers don't want.

However, 45.7 percent of the respondents said those illegals are a "burden" on the United States. Nearly one-third -- 29.7 percent -- said they were neither a burden nor a benefit and 22.1 percent said they were a benefit.

Of the Hispanic subset of respondents, 43.1 percent said illegal immigrants benefited the United States and 31.1 percent said they were a burden.

The overall respondent pool took a hard view at illegal immigrants, with a plurality of 36.7 percent saying all should be deported and 26.9 percent saying the illegals can stay if they have jobs and pass background checks. Another 16.8 percent would allow immigrants to stay if they pay a fine and learn English and 10.6 percent said any who committed any crimes should be deported.

There is a margin of error of 1.1 percentage points.

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