Thread: 74% of Americans: Gov't. Not Doing Enough to Secure Borders

Rasmussen Reports Poll
74% Say Government Not Doing Enough to Secure Borders
Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Seventy-four percent (74%) of U.S. voters continue to believe the federal government is not doing enough to secure the country’s borders, even as President-elect Obama has named a new secretary of Homeland Security who is opposed to a border fence.

Just 11% say the government is doing enough to secure the borders, while15% are undecided in a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Eighty-five percent (85%) of Republicans and 73% of unaffiliated voters don’t think the government is doing enough to control the borders, compared to 64% of Democrats.

Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters say gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers in the country, but 27% say legalizing illegal immigrants is the priority. Ten percent (10%) are undecided.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of men rate gaining control of the border as more important versus 60% of women. Thirty-one percent (31%) of female voters and 23% of male voters say legalizing undocumented workers is more important.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of Republicans and 65% of unaffiliated voters say border control is more important, while Democrats are evenly divided on the question.

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These numbers are largely identical to those in a survey in late October. At that time, 26% of voters described themselves as angry about the country’s immigration situation, even as it was largely ignored by both presidential candidates as they courted the growing Hispanic population.

Now 30% say they are angry about the immigration situation, but there also has been an increase from 43% in late October to 49% now of those who describe immigration as just one of many issues.

Men are angrier than women by 14 points. While 53% of female voters say immigration is just one of many issues, just 44% of men agree.

Forty-two percent (42%) of GOP voters and 34% of unaffiliateds are angry, but only 16% of Democrats feel that way. For nearly two-thirds of Democrats (65%), immigration is just one issue out of many, a view shared by 42% of unaffiliated voters and 35% of Republicans.

Interestingly, while 52% believed in the earlier survey that it is impossible to end illegal immigration, just 45% feel that way now. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say it is possible to end it, while 15% are not sure.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of male voters think it is possible to end illegal immigration, compared to 30% of female voters.

In a poll reported earlier this week, 30% of voters had a favorable opinion of Janet Napolitano, Forty-three percent (43%) didn’t know enough about the Arizona governor to have an opinion of her.

In her new post, Napolitano will be in charge of immigration enforcement. As governor, she has opposed a border fence and efforts to restrict government benefits to illegal immigrants. While she favors a legalization process for existing illegal immigrants that some view as amnesty, she also supports stronger workplace enforcement.

Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters say U.S. immigration policy should welcome all except those who are criminal or national security threats. Thirty percent (30%) disagree, and 17% are not sure.

Democrats are less agreeable to this than Republicans. While 65% of GOP voters say the United States should welcome all immigrants but those who pose a criminal or national security threat, just 52% of Democrats and 44% of unaffiliated voters agree.

In another survey released today, 59% say a terrorist attack in the United States like the one last week in India is at least somewhat likely in the next year. Twenty-three percent (23%) say it is Very Likely.

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Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

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Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.

This telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports December 1-2, 2008. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters
December 1-2, 2008

Is the government doing enough to secure the nation's borders?

Yes
11%

No
74%

Not Sure
15%

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... re_borders

Seventy-four percent (74%) of U.S. voters continue to believe the federal government is not doing enough to secure the country’s borders ... Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters say gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers in the country

These are important poll results. Please send these to your reps and mention this in your calls.