Thread: Poll: Most support illegals crackdown

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Poll: Most support illegals crackdown
Friday, 02 March 2007
STAFF REPORTS
A nationwide telephone poll suggests that most Americans support efforts like Hazleton’s ordinance to crack down on illegal immigrants.
The poll, conducted Feb. 22 to 26 with 1,000 respondents, shows that by a 68-25 margin, Americans support the ordinances proposed by Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta and adopted by City Council.
The poll was conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research, a Harrisburg firm.
Results of the poll were announced Thursday at a National Press Club panel in Washington, sponsored by Judicial Watch, a conservative government watchdog group.
In the poll, respondents were told that the recently passed Hazleton ordinances suspend the business licenses of employers who hire illegal aliens, penalize landlords who rent to illegal aliens with fines and make English the official language.
“The fact that most Americans support what we have done in Hazleton demonstrates that communities all across the country agree we need to turn to our elected officials at the local level to take action on this issue, and not rely solely on the federal government to solve this problem,” Barletta said Thursday.
“This issue is about Hazleton’s fight for survival and the fact that people in states all across the nation agree with us emboldens me to continue to carry this message to other towns and boroughs all over the country facing similar challenges.”
The poll also confirms that by a 67-26 margin, Americans say they would support an ordinance similar to Hazleton’s in their own communities.
“People continually ask me what difference a small-town mayor from an obscure small town like Hazleton can make, and this poll shows what we have done has struck a nerve with the rest of the country,” Barletta said.
“The poll also shows that most Americans don’t believe publicized efforts to reduce illegal immigration are working,” according to Jim Lee, president of SP&R and sponsor of the poll.
According to the survey, 61 percent don’t believe beefed-up border patrols, federal raids on businesses or other efforts that have been publicized recently are helping stem the flow of illegal immigrants, while only 6 percent believe they are helping “a lot” and 23 percent believe they are helping “a little.”
“Given this level of skepticism [about current methods to crack down on illegal immigrants], it is not surprising most Americans are looking for leadership at the local level on this issue,” Lee added.
When Americans are asked to cite the one single method they believe can be the most effective tool to reduce illegal immigration (from a list of four), 40 percent say “imposing penalties for businesses and landlords who knowingly hire or harbor illegal immigrants,” while 15 percent chose “beefing up border control,” 14 percent chose “enforcing existing immigration laws with such things like more raids on businesses” and 8 percent chose “erecting a fence at the border with Mexico.”
Lee said the poll shows broad-based majority support among many types of voters including those who identify themselves as Republicans (80 percent), Democrats (56 percent), Independents 68 percent), both males and females (68 percent), voters in all age groups and in all geographic regions of the country including states in the Northeast (60 percent), South (74 percent), Midwest (73 percent), North Central (71 percent), Southwest (71 percent) and the West (60 percent).
Susquehanna Polling and Research is a privately owned polling firm and represents both political and corporate clients mainly in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

See that DC!!!!!!

Do you?

Dixie

Action at the local level ehhh.....?

I'm posting this on my town board and sending it to my city hall folk. WAKE up and act.

This is awesome. Can anyone vouch for the polling company?

edstate,

It was "sponsored by Judicial Watch, a conservative government watchdog group". I'm sure the polling information is credible.

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

edstate,

a conservative government watchdog group"

Dixie

Unfortunately, that answers my question. Not that they, or a liberal group would 'cheat' on a poll... but it will be questioned precisely because of that.