Poll: Americans Open to Legal Status for Illegal Aliens

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12118771/ ^

[Altair333]

WASHINGTON - A slim majority of Americans are open to allowing undocumented workers to obtain some sort of temporary legal status to remain in the United States, with stronger support for the idea among Democrats, younger adults and more educated Americans, a new poll finds. Overall, 56 percent of Americans favor offering illegal immigrants a shot at some kind of legal status; roughly two-thirds of those ages 18-34 like the idea and an equal share of those with a college education agree, the AP-Ipsos survey found. While Democrats were more likely to support temporary worker status, with 62 percent favoring the idea, even among Republicans there was majority support, by a narrower 52 percent, according to the poll.

[deport]

IMMIGRATION STUDY
1. Would you favor or oppose allowing immigrants with jobs who are in the United States illegally to apply for legal, temporary worker status?
Strongly favor ................................... 26
Somewhat favor................................ 30
Somewhat oppose............................ 12
Strongly oppose................................ 28
Not sure.......................................... 4
Total Favor ...................................... 56
Total Oppose................................... 41

2. On balance, do you think illegal immigrants mostly make a contribution to American society, or are they mostly a drain on American society?
Mostly make a contribution............... 51
Mostly a drain ................................... 42
Not sure.......................................... 7

3. Which comes closest to your view?
Illegal immigrants take jobs that Americans don’t want ....................... 65
Illegal immigrants take away jobs that are wanted by Americans .......... 29
Not sure.......................................... 6

4. Do you think it should be a serious criminal offense to enter and remain in the United States without proper documentation or should it be considered a minor offense?
Serious criminal offense ................... 47
Minor offense.................................... 51
Not sure.......................................... 2

Remaining questions/answers

[Nuc1]

"For me, the only way for these folks to become "legal" is to GO HOME, and if they want to become REAL IMMIGRANTS, to go through the LEGAL immigration process."

We may not be in the majority but I am with you on this one.

[shrinkermd]

I really don't think we are being honest as to what the problem is. The facts are simple.

First, Mexico is a failed state. It cannot provide the simplest guarantees of safety and sustenance to its citizens.

Second, Mexico is not an expansionary power but the US is an expansionary power.

Third, Mexico foisting off its problems through illegal immigration can no longer be tolerated.

The solution is quite simple and for which we have no workable, practical recourse. We must annex the whole country of Mexico into some sort of political solution. I don't know whether this would be a "Puerto Rico" solution or something akin to it.

Honest governance, anti-drug policies and opportunities for economic growth and a decent standard of living can only occur with annexation. The outcome will be something like Puerto Rico where we give tax and other benefits to the Puerto Ricans while, at the same time, permitting some sort of federation arrangement giving them largely self governance but under US federal supervision.

Surely, this solution will occur since nothing else has worked--NAFTA, Fences and quasi attempts to assimilate people who want a better life more than anything else.

If the meantime all the jingoists will wail and scream;however, there will be a solution and it will not arise from anything now posed as a solution.

[kingu]

Post 37 has the link to the PDF with the data PDF that is of course never linked to by MSM reports... Pesky data only confuses the rubes.

[Nuc1]

"We are constantly told by liberals that these illegals only want to earn money to feed their families, regardless of breaking the law."

Don't forget your health insurance. These folks run that up big time.

[YOUGOTIT]

I guess one needs to ask the question; Does one wants to live under Islamic law or Mexican law, as it seems that our politicians have sold us out to maintain their royal life style. They are more worried about keeping their luxury vehicles and having the taxpayer pay for them that they are about the security of our nation. It is a shame that the US Senate has gone the way of the Senate of Rome and will sell out their country to keep their luxury life style. The 17th Amendment can now be said to have destroyed the country by letting anti-Americans reside in the US Senate.

It is a shame that they will sell out their country for a few pieces of silver, but we have seen that before. So what will be the outcome? Spanish or Arabic? The law of the dictators of Mexico or Islamic law, who will the anti-Americans, sells us out to? I do not think they care and will do anything to keep their lifestyle so they can keep their Royal status.

Shams! Shame! Shame! Anyone want to bet on how many years we have left?

3
5
7 or
10?

[kempo]

To be able to enforce the law and remove all of the illegals in mass there has to be a way to prove who is legal and who is not. It will have to be a system that can identify legal citizens in just a few minutes by any law enforcement officer. That means a national ID system that can not be forged.

Now how many of you want that. It wouldn't bother me but I suspect there are millions who would object.

The politicians know this so nothing is being done.

[calex59]

You believe these polls? There is another poll on the forum today that shows 68 percent of the people want ILLEGALS gone from the country BEFORE any "guest worker" program is implemented. There is a difference is saying you will support guest workers and saying you support them after they are removed from the country and seek legal entry. This is a manipulated poll, just like all the others Dems put out to prove a point.

[Mamzelle]

re: We are constantly told by liberals that these illegals only want to earn money)))

Liberals don't bother to say this--they've already got the GOP carrying their water. Liberals just sit back and grin at the likes of Lindsey Graham enraging his conservative base.

[syncked]

"We are constantly told by liberals that these illegals only want to earn money to feed their families, regardless of breaking the law. Should we then give a free pass to a perp. who robs a bank or mugs an old lady for the same reason?"

The short answer is, yes. For the left, Society Is Always to Blame, therefore criminals are the true victims. Every criminal is seen as a modern day Jean Valjean, driven to do what he does by an unjust, imperfect(read:non-socialist) society. Witness the upsurge in the number of child molesters being given a handslap, or even a gentle push out of the courtroom, because "punishment doesn't work".

[satchmodog9]

Showing more educated Americans want illegals to stay. Nice form of intimidation there.

[Churchillspirit]

God save us all!

[ScottfromNJ]

Or if they simply asked, do you support amnesty for Illegals, yes or no ? 80 % would say no.

[Clock King]

Even if it is true, it doesn't validate the position. The upper crust want their nannies and gardeners and house-builder slaves. "A Day Without A Mexican" is one of the stupidest movies/ideas ever to come into existence. Most people do their own laundry, and pick up and raise their own kids, and mow their own grass. Also, don't forget that legalization is just a part of the Leftist/Globalist plan. Next is voting, regardless of citizenship (they were actually shouting this at the protests last week). Some Leftist cities already allow this.

[Puppage]

Poll: Americans Open to Legal Status for Illegal Aliens

There's one way to see.....LET AMERICANS VOTE ON THE ISSUE!!!

Alas, like abortion, that won't happen.

[texastoo]

Hey, you bozo. The elite are just telling us what we think. How in the he!! can we live without the elite? /sarcasm

[texasbluebell]

If we make these illegals into legals, then you can expect a deluge of illegal immigrants that will make the one we've just had look like a trickle.

It's worse than that. As Tancredo pointed out last week, close to 30 million illegals will become legalized, thereby becoming anchors for their families.

If only 2 more family members per new citizen are brought in, that's an additional 60 million just like that.

How will we ever assimilate close to 100 million new people?

[OKIEDOC]

I suspicion that these polls are being manipulated for desired results.

REPLY

Damn shame that America is sold out and citizenship devalued based on polls that could or probably are manipulated to suit the agenda of certain groups.

However, of the liberals I know not one supports any type of amnesty.

[curiosity]

One that permits those here to buy and work their way to citizenship such as the Kennedy bill, and

No chance. Such a measure will never get through the House.

And rightly so. Why should we let those who wantonly broke the law "buy they way into citizenship?"

And no, the alternative is not to deport them. Take away their jobs, and they will have no choice but to leave.

It's not complicated.

[curiosity]

One that permits those here to buy and work their way to citizenship such as the Kennedy bill, and

No chance. Such a measure will never get through the House.

And rightly so. Why should we let those who wantonly broke the law "buy they way into citizenship?"

And no, the alternative is not to deport them. Take away their jobs, and they will have no choice but to leave.

It's not complicated.