Posted on 05/06/2005 5:08:06 PM PDT by John Jorsett
A new opinion poll by Zogby International indicates Americans are hardly pleased with the Bush administration on the subject of illegal immigration.
The poll, cited on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" program yesterday, noted a huge majority – 81 percent – believes local and state police should help federal authorities enforce laws against illegal immigration. Only 14 percent disagreed.
Voters were also asked, "Do you support or oppose the Bush administration's proposal to give millions of illegal aliens guest worker status and the opportunity to become citizens?" Only 35 percent gave their support, and 56 percent said no.
"A majority opposed illegal immigration," pollster John Zogby told CNN. "In fact, when you combine those two terms, 'illegal and immigration,' it really conjures up a considerable amount of negatives. And, in fact, we find that it's really across the board."
According to the report, the greatest opponents of illegal immigration are Democrats, African-Americans, women and people with household income below $75,000, those with the most to lose in the job market.
When it came to the status of the nation's borders, respondents were asked, "Do you agree or disagree that the federal government should deploy troops on the Mexican border as a temporary measure to control illegal immigration?" A clear majority – 53 percent – agree, while 40 percent disagree.
"The Minuteman program highlighted the fact that we need more tighter border security," Phil Kent of American Immigration Control Foundation told the network. "So I think these numbers again are good. It's a good civics lesson for the American people. It shows our elected leaders that we want action."
In summing up her report, CNN correspondent Lisa Sylvester noted, "So, while the public wants tougher borders, politicians are pushing to leave them open. A real disconnect."
Dobbs responded to that statement, saying: "The disconnect that you referred to, Lisa, between our elected officials and the people of this country is in no – on no other issue any more dramatic than on the issue of illegal immigration. The Zogby poll is just simply the most recent in a string of polls that show that the American people want their borders secure, they want immigration laws to be enforced, and to clean up what has become an atrocious mess on the part of our elected representatives serving better the interests of U.S. multinationals than the people who are working for a living in this country."
Within a week of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S., Zogby polled Americans on border security and immigration issues.
When asked whether the government was doing enough to control the border and screen those allowed into the country, 76 percent said the government was not doing enough.
Regarding future threats to the U.S., 72 percent of likely voters in 2001 said a dramatic increase in resources devoted to border control and enforcement of immigration laws would help reduce the chances of a terrorist attack in the future.
Well DUH!
That's why they're called "undocumented workers" now, kind of like someone who forgot his ID card at work and has to get a temporary one from security.
Democrats want cheap votes and Republicans want cheap subsidized workers for the subsidized farms in the red states. That's why this problem isn't being addressed by either party.
Whichever party in 2008 comes out against illegal immigration will win.
First, this is Zogby, which means you couldn't normally trust it.
But, in this case, he played it safe and polled a question he already knew that enormous results of.
Hope nobody paid him for this.
Next poll:
Do you require air to breath?
The fascinating thing about this poll is that although the GOP base has made the most noise about this issue, it is the Democratic blue collar base (or what is left of it) that is seen as the pollster as the most negative because they know that economic competition with third world labor is reducing their standard of living.
Illegals are taking the kinds of jobs inner city blacks used to get and they know it.
Opinion is divided on eliminating public assistance, such as education and health benefits, to illegal immigrants and their children. Forty-three percent of Americans favor stopping public assistance for illegal immigrants, while 45 percent oppose it.
Even so, a 62 percent majority, including almost equal majorities of Democrats (65 percent) and Republicans (62 percent), favors allowing illegal immigrants who have jobs in the United States to apply for legal, temporary worker status
Oh yes it was zogby who came out with the 5:00 PM election day poll saying kerry was going to win big.
Real good track record there.
True. Look at the construction trades--they're being flooded with illegals that'll work for peanuts, forcing the tradesmen to either compete or get out of the field.
More like tom tancredo, backstabber to Tom Delay 2005.
In my opinion, the Democrat politicians want as many illegals as they can get into the country for future votes, but the Democrat base is angry because the illegals cut in on the money they could scam for themselves from the taxpayers. Without illegals, they could pocket twice as much.
See reply #8.
Why should we believe this pollster?
good gravy!
americans have been fed illegals?
burp.
A zogby poll, is a zogby poll, is a zogby poll.
A pollsters reputation precedes him.
My reply #8 has the results from a Fox/Opinion dynamics poll. I'll let people on FR make up there own mind, they can lap up zogby's special sauce or go with a more reputable pollster.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.