Posted on 09/21/2010 11:53:51 AM PDT by RC Clayton
Democrats are trying to push the Dream Act through Congress this year, “providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who arrive in the United States before age 16, earn a high school diploma, reside here for at least five years and complete two years of college or military service,” according to the New York Times.
New Rasmussen Reports polling finds that most voters believe children brought to this country illegally who complete two years of college or serve in the military should get a chance at U.S. citizenship. But they also agree that allowing this route to citizenship just encourages more illegal immigration.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of Likely U.S. Voters think a child who is brought here illegally and completes two years of college should get a chance at citizenship. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree and say they not get that opportunity, and 12% are not sure.
Support is even higher for those who serve honorably in the U.S. military. Seventy-eight percent (78%) say a child brought to this country illegally who is in the military ought to get a chance at citizenship. Only 14% feel otherwise.
However, just 20% think local government should be required to provide a public school education for a child brought into the United States illegally by his or her parents. Sixty-four percent (64%) disagree and say local governments should not be required to educate the children of illegals. Fifteen percent (15%) aren’t sure.
Overall, most voters (55%) say that making it possible for children of illegal immigrants to gain citizenship by attending college will encourage more illegal immigration. Twenty-seven percent (27%) disagree and 18% more are undecided.
Sixty-six percent (66%) of Mainstream voters believe this policy will foster more illegal immigration, but 50% of the Political Class disagree.
(Want a free daily e-mail update ? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on September 16-17, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
It’s worth noting the difference question wording can make in the response. These voters are expressing support for “a chance” at citizenship.
When voters were asked in October 2007 whether children of illegal immigrants who finish two years of college should be “given” citizenship, 59% said no. But 57% at that time did believe that children of illegal immigrants who serve in the military should be given U.S. citizenship
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Americans oppose automatic citizenship for a child born in this country to an illegal immigrant.
Voters have consistently said for years that when it comes to immigration reform, gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States.
Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party believe overwhelmingly that local governments should not be required to provide a public school education for the children of illegal immigrants. Democrats are more narrowly divided on the question.
Most unaffiliated voters agree with most Democrats, however, that a child brought to this country illegally who later completes two years of college should be a given a chance to obtain citizenship. A plurality (49%) of GOP voters disagree.
But 69% of Republicans and 52% of unaffiliateds think such a policy will encourage more illegal immigration. By a 45% to 37% margin, Democrats don’t believe that to be true.
Republicans strongly concur with the others, though, that those who serve in the military should be given a chance for U.S. citizenship.
In general, the Political Class is much more supportive of efforts to make the children of illegal immigrants U.S. citizens than Mainstream voters are.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of all voters say they have been following recent news stories about the Dream Act and immigration reform.
Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters say the U.S. Justice Department should take legal action against cities that provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Even more think the federal government should cut off funds to these “sanctuary cities.”
But 56% oppose the Justice Department’s decision to challenge the legality of Arizona’s new immigration law in federal court. Sixty-one percent (61%), in fact, favor passage of a law like Arizona’s in their own state.
By a two-to-one margin, voters believe the policies of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally.
As the country wrestles with a future of historic-level deficits, 67% of voters say that illegal immigrants are a significant strain on the U.S. budget. Sixty-six percent (66%) say the availability of government money and services draws illegal immigrants to the United State
no.
complete 2-4 yrs military active combat duty, then we’ll talk.
If you serve the USA honorably for four years in our military - yes - head of the line for citizenship.
Just going to college here or signing up “intending” to go - no.
Just what we need - a military full of foreigners.
I think somebody ELSE tried that once.... uhmmmm....
THE ROMANS!!!
I would agree to this on one condition:
The parents must be immediately deported and never allowed in the US again.
And the French. I believe the Soviets liked to station their troops in areas ethnically different from their place of origin, the idea being that it would be easier to shoot their countrymen if they were ethnically different.
anything else is AMNESTY and a crime...
NO NO NO and Hell NO!
Here is the way this WILL play out folks!!!
1st off, we are at capacity with regard to all branches of the military!!!! So while they are still taking recruits you know full well that they will be taking the minorities first, cause it is happening NOW!! Quotas!!!
The EXACT same thing will happen with college. Let’s see, Suzie wants to go to college and so does Rosalita. Rosalita is a child of an illegal immigrant, it is not her FAULT also, we need 300 more Latino/Latina’s to meet our quota. Who gets the spot?
They need to be deported. Americans need all the jobs they can get. The military can be good for American kids.
Major Hassan the mass murderer is a reason I do not really want illegals in the military.
One more thing to add to the above post...Suzie has a 3.6 GPA, Rosalita a 2.6. Rosalita still gets the spot, they will assign her extra help and a mentor and then the powers that be can pat themselves on the back.
Say good bye to college for you kids too!!! Like k-12 is not bad enough!!!!!!!
“I believe the Soviets liked to station their troops in areas ethnically different from their place of origin, the idea being that it would be easier to shoot their countrymen if they were ethnically different.”
Again, Romans did the same thing. Hispanics to Judaea, Gauls to north Africa, Batavians and Scythians to Britain. etc.
Duh: Who will pay for the college education?
OK: So we make the kid a citizen, How about his/her brothers ,sisters, Mom and POp?? Can we send them back where they came from?
Who pays for their High School education? Does Pop have to pay his back taxes?
I have no problem with those who wish to serve our country getting at the head of the line,after their service is completed, they speak English and Pledge Allegiance to our flag and not the flag of Mexico.
Nothing good comes from rewarding bad behavior!
The idea of giving illegals free or cut rate college entitles them to citizenship is ludicrous
Well DUH!! Why does anyone think Hussein put college tuition assistance under the COMPLETE control of...HIMSELF!!! “Here Jose, here’s a grand. Just tell everybody you went to Penn State and vote for ME!!!”
“Republicans strongly concur with the others, though, that those who serve in the military should be given a chance for U.S. citizenship. “
Hispanics in Rome?
Hispanics refers to the island of Hispaniola. So the Romans sent Dominicans to Judea?
I never knew that.
Don't forget the Hessians.
100% Deportation of all Illegal Aliens....anything less is Amnesty
The supporters of Illegal Alienism use these polls to twist support for Illegal Alien Amnesty. They never ask point blank...”do you support Amnesty for Illegal Aliens”. Even Rasmussen is Liberal on the Illegal Alien Amnesty issue
The flip-side is that the powers-that-be sometimes get a pass if they’re sending “those people” to do the fighting and dying.
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