New Poll Reveals Business Leaders and Union Members Favor Enforcement over Amnesty

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 7:43 AM EST - posted on NumbersUSA

A new Zogby poll (see the full report from the Center for Immigration Studies) reveals that when given the choice between enforcing immigration laws causing illegal aliens to leave the country or offering a mass amnesty, senior business executives, small business owners and union members favor enforcement. This is in stark contrast to the business and union lobbyists who are pushing for an amnesty. (CIS report: http://www.cis.org/Business-Union-Poll )

Among the findings...

When asked to choose between enforcement that would cause illegal immigrants in the country to go home or offering them a pathway to citizenship with conditions, most members of the business community and unions choose enforcement.

Executives (e.g. CEOs, CFOs, VPs etc.): 59 percent support enforcement to encourage illegals to go home; 30 percent support conditional legalization.

Small Business Owners: 67 percent support enforcement; 22 percent support conditional legalization.

Union Households: 58 percent support enforcement; 28 percent support conditional legalization.

One of the most interesting findings of the survey is that members of the business community think there are plenty of Americans available to fill unskilled jobs. Union members feel the same way.

Executives: 16 percent said legal immigration should be increased to fill unskilled jobs, 61 percent said there are plenty of Americans available to do unskilled jobs, employers just need to pay more.

Small Business Owners: 13 percent said increase immigration; 65 percent said plenty of Americans are available.

Union Households: 10 percent said increase immigration; 72 percent said plenty of Americans are available.

Most members of the business community and union households do not feel that illegal immigration is caused by limits on legal immigration, as many of their lobbyists argue; instead, members feel it is due to a lack of enforcement.

Executives: Just 13 percent said illegal immigration is caused by not letting in enough legal immigrants; 75 percent said inadequate enforcement.

Small Business Owners: 10 percent said not enough legal immigration; 79 percent said inadequate enforcement.

Union Households: 13 percent said not enough legal immigration; 74 percent said inadequate enforcement efforts.

In contrast to many businesses group and union leaders, most executives and union members think im- migration is too high.

Executives: 63 percent said it is too high; 5 percent said too low; 16 percent said just right.

Small Business Owners: 70 percent said it is too high; 4 percent said too low; 13 percent said just right.

Union Households: 63 percent said immigration is too high; 5 percent said too low; 14 percent said just right.

The key question in the poll asked whether business leaders and union members would choose enforcement versus amnesty, and the overwhelming majority choose enforcement.


For more information on this poll, see Roy's blog.
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusab ... st-busines
or
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-187298-zogby.html

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/ ... -over-amne