Posted on 04/19/2011 8:43:25 AM PDT by Signalman
Several Republican senators are seeking to amend the law that grants full U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants in this country, and voters strongly support such an effort.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that a child born in the United States to a woman who is here illegally should not automatically become a U.S. citizen. That’s up slightly from last August but is the highest level of support for a change in the existing law found in five years of Rasmussen Reports surveying.
Twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree and feel that children born to illegal immigrants in this country should automatically become American citizens as is currently the practice. That’s down six points from August. Another 11% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Eighty-four percent (84%) of voters believe that before anyone receives local, state or federal government services, they should be required to prove they are legally allowed to be in the United States. Only nine percent (9%) oppose such a requirement.
Most voters continue to feel that the policies of the federal government encourage illegal immigration, but voters are now almost evenly divided over whether it's better to let the federal government or individual states enforce immigration laws. At least one state, Arizona, has been considering a law that would deny full citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 17-18, 2011 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.
While most voters favor stronger enforcement of immigration laws, just over half (55%) of voters nationwide also are at least somewhat concerned that efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants will end up violating the civil rights of some U.S. citizens. Forty-two percent (42%) don’t share that concern. This includes 21% who are Very Concerned and 12% who are Not At All Concerned.
This is consistent with findings for nearly a year.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans and 63% of voters not affiliated with either major political party oppose automatic U.S. citizenship for children born in this country to illegal immigrants. Democrats are evenly divided on the question.
Also, 75% of Democrats are concerned that efforts to identify and deport illegal aliens will violate the civil rights of some U.S. citizens, a view shared by just 39% of Republicans. Unaffiliated voters are narrowly divided on the question.
There are sharper differences of opinion as far as the Political Class is concerned. Seventy percent (70%) of those in the Political Class favor automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, but 70% of Mainstream voters are opposed.
Mainstream voters also believe much more emphatically that those seeking government services need to prove they are in this country legally. They also are far less concerned than Political Class voters about violating the civil rights of some U.S. citizens.
Voters are evenly divided over whether young people brought to this country illegally by their parents should be viewed as breaking the law. But most voters think a young person brought to the United States illegally by their parents who serves honorably in the military or who grows up here, obeys the law and does well in school should be given the right to remain here legally.
Americans believe there is more poverty in the country today than there was 10 years ago, but 61% of Adults say if immigration laws were enforced, there would be less poverty here.
Most voters continue to favor strong sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent to them. Voters also feel strongly that police should check the immigration status of drivers during routine traffic stops.
Fifty percent (50%) of adults say it’s too easy to qualify for welfare in the United States.
When it comes to illegal immigration, most voters believe the government just needs to enforce the laws that are already on the books rather than create new laws.
Wow, I can’t believe 61% of the voters are racist/s.
Further proof the "political class" needs to be rounded up and put into a warehouse somewhere far away from the levers of power.
WOW! So how is it that we can’t get the elites to do the right thing here?
Those who have sworn to uphold the Constitution won’t even seal the southern border. And the Americans who want that done (particularly after 9/11) is far higher than 61%.
Ain’t gonna happen, unfortunately for us.
When it comes to illegal immigration, most voters believe the government just needs to enforce the laws that are already on the books rather than create new laws.
When the federal government refuses to enforce our immigration laws the State governments should enforce the laws,since they will be suffering from the result of lax enforcement.
We’re getting close to 2/3rds. That’s the magical number. Replace the sitting legislators who are all corrupt and replace them with patriotic Americans!
Now all we need is a leader with the b*lls to do the will of the people, and not the will of the Chamber of Commerce and DNC.
And not just a warehouse, but a leaky warehouse ~ that’s what Lincoln did to Copperheads and such.
There are 300,000 to 400,000 anchor babies born each year. One out of every ten births in this country is to an illegal alien.
That’s funny...so does the CONSTITUTION!!!
I can’t believe it is that low, frankly. Everyone I know would be against “anchor babies”.
One could run on this issue. Make it their central plank and know its a constant winner. These cowards in office always take the wrong side on this issue.
At least the author gets one aspect correct: ...as is currently the practice.
It is telling that the author does not say "as is currently the law".
Ping!
Exactly my FRiend! 2/3 actually understand the 14th amendment.
Hint to senator’s running in 2012 on ther Republican side use this as an issue.
Because the elites do not fear that 61%.
... and the other 39 percent are wrong.
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