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Rasmussen Reports
Voters Don't Rank Immigration As A Priority Issue
Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Despite reports that President Obama plans to begin a push for immigration reform, voters rank it fifth out of five priorities he has proposed this year in the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Forty-one percent (41%) now see deficit reduction as the top priority while 26% see health care reform as most important. Eleven percent (11%) say the search for new energy sources should be the most important objective, followed by nine percent (9%) who say the president's educational goals are their top concern.

Five percent (5%) of voters name immigration as most important. Most voters have consistently said that securing the borders to prevent illegal immigration is more important than legalizing the status of immigrants already in the country illegally.

In his first address to Congress earlier this year, the president outlined four priorities—deficit reduction, health care, energy and education. At the time, 42% said deficit reduction was most important, and 24% named health care reform. Those numbers are virtually identical to the current public mood.

In between, a March survey found less enthusiasm for deficit reduction and more for health care reform. In all three surveys, including the current data, Democrats see health care reform as more important than deficit reduction while Republicans and unaffiliated voters hold the opposite view (see demographic crosstabs).

The current survey shows that adults under 30 are the least certain of their priorities: 28% say deficit reduction, 25% say health care reform, and 23% say education. Among older adults, deficit reduction is the top priority. Among all age groups, support for health care reform as the top priority ranges from 20% to 30%.

Health care reform is the top priority for America’s Political Class while Mainstream America places a higher priority on deficit reduction. Most Americans share the Populist, or Mainstream America, view. Those in the Political Class tend to have more confidence in political leaders and less trust in the wisdom of the American people.

Immigration ranks at or near the bottom of the priority list for every measured demographic group.

The majority of voters are now more concerned about drug violence from Mexico spilling over into the United States than they are about illegal immigration.

http://tinyurl.com/crhdvy

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p.s. Here is actual question:

National Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters
Conducted April 11-12, 2009
By Rasmussen Reports

1* Which of the following is the most important objective for Congress and the President to accomplish this year—reducing the budget deficit, passing health care reform, finding new energy sources, ensuring that every child has access to a complete and competitive education, or passing comprehensive immigration reform?

41% Reducing the budget deficit
26% Passing health care reform
11% Finding new energy sources
9% Ensuring every child has access to a complete and competitive education

5% Passing comprehensive immigration reform

7% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence