Poll: Most Still Support Arizona Immigration Law

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Polling ,; Domestic Issues

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

Most Americans see illegal immigration as a very serious problem, a new CBS News poll shows - a figure that has held steady over the past four years.

Now, 56 percent of Americans say it is a very serious problem, according to the poll, conducted May 20 - 24. An additional 28 percent called it a somewhat serious problem. Only 14 percent said it was not too serious of a problem or not a problem.

Last month, when Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a controversial immigration bill into law, the percentage of Americans calling immigration a very serious problem increased to 65 percent.

But by comparison, 56 percent also called illegal immigration a very serious problem in December, 2007, while 54 percent said the same in October, 2006.

The new Arizona law gives police the power to question someone they have already stopped, detained or arrested about their legal status in the country, and requires people to produce documents verifying their status if asked. About half of Americans (52 percent) see the new Arizona law as about right, the poll shows. Twenty-eight percent think it goes too far, and 17 percent think it does not go far enough.

President Obama has called the law "misdirected" and has ordered the Justice Department to review it. He has been pushing a comprehensive approach to immigration reform and it was reported today that he will soon be sending as many as 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

More from the poll:

Poll Finds Americans Pessimistic, Dissatisfied with Washington
Poll: 70% Say BP Handling Oil Spill Badly
Poll: Most Americans Still Unfamiliar with Elena Kagan
Poll: Support for Health Care Reforms Increases
Poll: Public Opinion of Democratic Party at All-Time Low
Read the Complete Poll

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1054 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone May 20-24, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from random digit dial samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by brianhughs June 18, 2010 11:57 PM EDT: If we kick them ( illegals ) out then could I have my SS# back on your way out? You should n't need mine in Mexico. or California, New Mexico, Boston, Chicago ect.; Reply to this comment


by vandal205 June 18, 2010 4:43 PM EDT: California and Los Angeles are Boycotting Arizona, if you support Arizona then boycott California starting with their movies this summer. All these cities and states are touchable, they should know that if live in a Glass house don't throw rocks and Mind your own business. BOYCOTT the MOVIES, send a message.; Reply to this comment


by cleantheDCcesspool June 3, 2010 9:41 PM EDT: To the good people of great state of Arid Zona: Please encourage your state legislature to pass another, similar law retroactively banning immigrants from Kenya with student visas.; Reply to this comment


by magnumdr June 3, 2010 8:47 AM EDT: If these people from Mexico asked for our help to become American citizens most of the US citizens would try to help them, but these people come here and expect everything that the people of America have built or made over the past generations without paying any dues like we have. Forget it. The USA is not an alien welfare Country!; Reply to this comment


by WilliamPole June 1, 2010 3:51 AM EDT: Arizona's immigration law - pro and cons. Let's discuss it together at http://immigration.civiltalks.com/ Your vote is important for us.; Reply to this comment

by vivalarevolucion86 May 31, 2010 1:52 AM EDT

Regardless of whatever the law does there will still be illegals coming in and out so suck it up and deal with it one way or another. Besides you should say thank you for doing the BS jobs that most people wouldn't do, or say thanks for allowing me to eat an apple in the morning before I go to my deskjob or even as far as the unequivical line of "would you like fries with that?". Now I am a hispanic and find that there are good points to this law but the brunt of it is coming down to discrimination, which I personally experience along with many other people I know, human beings are fallible and because of that we should not even be given the ability to make a judegment call like that. I am however for enforcing a law to get those that break laws, illegal or non ( hell make it harder for those law breaking illegals to get back here, and i am talking about serious crimes). You WIL NOT get rid of the mexican community, we have been here way before and we will sure as hell be here long after you are gone. So do yourself a favor and make it easier on yourself because I promise if this doesn't change soon, a revolution will start. My suggestion to the state and federal government is to make this act, any illegal who wants to become a citizen with all the benefits included serve some time in the military. Kill to birds with one stone and make everyone happy. This way we get what we want (troops) they get what they want anyway and we can make millions of the taxes all while pushing the cartels off. Sign it and done!

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by AzNative96 June 11, 2010 4:17 PM EDT: Thank you for listing your points in a readable and organized fashion. You show that two opposing viewpoints can discuss and come to compromise. I disagree on some points. I'm not thanking illegals for working in the fields or anywhere else. I grew up working in fields beside them, plenty of other "legal" resedents and citizens as well. NO one I know wants or is thinking to "get rid of the mexican community". I hope you simply worded that wrong, because it is silly. I would fight anyone who tried that. Please don't bring the military into this. Throwing the trash into service will only lower the caliber and standards of our services, that is completely unacceptable. No, they cannot have amnesty for the crimes they have committed, period. Would you forgive me if I came by your house and stole from you? Would you forget about it simply because I was trying to support my family? No you wouldn't! Illegals need to get deported and come back through legally. Anchor babies, born to illegals, nedd to leave with their parents or stay here, with legal guardians. that is the only "fair" way to deal with someone who has already been given citizenship.
Seal the border and ammend our immigration laws. Make it easier for law abiding immigrant to come and work and provide for their families. Not many people I know have any issues with their being here working, they don't like that they're here illegally. AND WE'RE TIRED OF THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT!
Phil from Yuma, AZ


by dmccormi50 July 2, 2010 12:19 AM EDT: My ancestry is native american, now we all know that the majoity of mexicans are radically racists twoards native americans, as well as most blacks, we also know that whites are racists twoards blacks and mexicans, blacks are racists twoards whites and mexicans, and frankly native americans think your all thieves who came here stole their land put them on reservations so that they can watch you all destroy their land. Now that I hope we got all this racists bullcrap out on the table, showing that no race is without racicim lets get down to the real truth and quit hiding behind an excuse to have things handed to you. The majority of illegals that are living here are not only taking advantage of free medical/dental care, free food, free housing, free education, all while paying no taxes but they also send billions of dollars back to Mexico A MONTH, now please tell me how that is helping our economy and job market. When you answer that question please do not leave your common sense behind.You all want to say you want to live here and have our rights, well start with one of our first: tax evasion is a crime and you go to federal prison for that or at least Americans do.To live here, work here and recieve an income and knowingly not pay taxes is tax evasion. If you want to be thought of as americans and respected as americans then start by learning to speak english and to speak it when out in public where the majority of the people do speak english, because that is americas language, I see all these Mexicans on T.V. saying YES WE CAN! Yes we can WHAT? live off americans while our economy goes broke? if you think these leaches have not helped to create this economic mess then you have not done your homework, look at just what it costs for what border patrol we already spend and apparently it is not enough because they are still crawling over here. I for one am tired of telling my child no to things she would like, because I am busy paying for someone else. I will tell you something you are right about and that is a revolution, and when you talk about that think about this, the white man defeated my ancestors to take away this land, OH, I also believe they defeated the mexicans to take Texas and if it were not for alot of white americans who fought against slavery well who knows where we would be today? Now white people do not have white day, they do not have white Miss America they do not have white tv they do not have white history month because if they had that it would be racists, but mexicans can have their latino days and latino awards blacks can have black history month BET and Miss Black America but if whites have MISS White America all hell would break loose, Al Sharpton would be all over that. You all talk about racisim but you are too ignorant to realize by screaming racisim for every little move the white man makes or every little political incorrect thing he says you scream racisim, you are creating it!, more everyday till one day you will get your revolution, but again remember the whites have not lost any of those yet. They are getting tired of watching leaches take everything they and their ancestors have worked hard for. Now with all that said I am NOT a racists, I am a realists, because the hard working americans (white, yellow, black, and yes mexican americans and all other hard working legal americans who love this country and it's constitution and it's english language and our american beliefs) are tired of giving away their hard earned income to people who are stealing from them, and now because they speak up and out about it everyone wants to call them racists. If a black man says he doesn't like the illegals he is racists, it a white man says it, he is racists, if a mexican american says it then he is not proud to be mexican and he is a racists, well since you are so into giving your money away this native american will take your donation and if you do not want me to have it then...you are a racists.


by 86ThemViper May 30, 2010 1:21 PM EDT: From the other side of the fence
Date: 2010-05-28, 2:55PM

Received the following from Tom O'Malley, who was a Director with S.W. BELL in Mexico City:
"I spent five years working in Mexico. I worked under a tourist Visa for three months and could legally renew it for three more months. After that you were working illegally. I was technically illegal for three weeks waiting on the FM3 approval.
"During that six months our Mexican and U.S. attorneys were working to secure a permanent work visa called a 'FM3'. It was in addition to my U.S. passport that I had to show each time I entered and left the country. Barbara's was the same, except hers did not permit her to work.
"To apply for the FM3, I needed to submit the following notarized originals (not copies):
1. Birth certificate for Barbara and me.
2. Marriage certificate.
3. High school transcripts and proof of graduation.
4. College transcripts for every college I attended and
proof of graduation.
5. Two letters of recommendation from supervisors I had
worked for at least one year.
6. A letter from the St. Louis Chief of Police indicating
that I had no arrest record in the U.S. and no outstanding
warrants and, was "a citizen in good standing".
7. "Finally, I had to write a letter about myself that clearly
stated why there was no Mexican citizen with my skills and
why my skills were important to Mexico. We called it our
'I am the greatest person on Earth' letter. It was fun to write."
"All of the above were in English that had to be translated into Spanish and be certified as legal translations, and our signatures notarized. It produced a folder about 1.5 inches thick with English on the left side & Spanish on the right."
"Once they were completed Barbara and I spent about five hours, accompanied by a Mexican attorney, touring Mexican government office locations and being photographed and fingerprinted at least three times at each location, and we remember at least four locations where we were instructed on Mexican tax, labor, housing, and criminal law and that we were required to obey their laws or face the consequences. We could not protest any of the government's actions or we would be committing a felony. We paid out four thousand dollars in fees and bribes to complete the process. When this was done we could legally bring in our household goods that were held by U.S. Customs in Laredo, Texas. This meant we had rented furniture in Mexico while awaiting our goods. There were extensive fees involved here that the company paid."
"We could not buy a home and were required to rent at very high rates and under contract and compliance with Mexican law."
"We were required to get a Mexican driver's license. This was an amazing process. The company arranged for the licensing agency to come to our headquarters location with their photography and fingerprint equipment and the laminating machine. We showed our U.S. license, were photographed and fingerprinted again and issued the license instantly after paying out a six dollar fee. We did not take a written or driving test and never received instructions on the rules of the road. Our only instruction was to never give a policeman your license if stopped and asked. We were instructed to hold it against the inside
window away from his grasp. If he got his hands on it you would have to pay ransom to get it back. "
"We then had to pay and file Mexican income tax annually using the number of our FM3 as our ID number. The company's Mexican accountants did this for us and we just signed what they prepared. It was about twenty legal size pages annually."
"The FM3 was good for three years and renewable for two more after paying more fees."
"Leaving the country meant turning in the FM3 and certifying we were leaving no debts behind and no outstanding legal affairs (warrants, tickets or liens)
before our household goods were released to customs."
"It was a real adventure and if any of our Senators or Congressmen went through it once they would have a different attitude toward Mexico."
"The Mexican government uses its vast military and police forces to keep its citizens intimidated and compliant. They never protest at their capitol or
government offices, but do protest daily in front of the United States Embassy. The U.S. Embassy looks like a strongly reinforced fortress and during most protests the Mexican military surrounds the block with their men standing shoulder to shoulder in full riot gear to protect the Embassy. These protests are never shown on U.S. or Mexican TV. There is a large public park across the street where they do their protesting. Anything can cause a protest such as proposed law changes in California or Texas."

Please feel free to share this with everyone who thinks we are being hard on the illegals.; Reply to this comment


by pslsteve May 29, 2010 3:44 PM EDT: The money Arizona is going to save in the year from the date this law is put into effect is going to such a staggering amount that not only will Arizona have a balance budget, but will probably be the first State in the nation with a surplus. Other States will then see the light and enact similar laws as soon as possible..It always comes down to the money.; Reply to this comment


by magnumdr May 29, 2010 1:06 AM EDT: That's right. I am getting sick of all of the retoric that we get from our politicans. Start telling to the US citizens straight, no more fancy talk, just do it!; Reply to this comment


by sunday42 May 28, 2010 4:07 PM EDT: Interestingly enough if you use the conservitive number of 12 million illegals in this country and compair it to the population ranking of our states the illegals tie with Illinoise for fifth most populus. This leaves 45 of our states with less population than the number of illegals in this country. Amazing. You think we have a problem?; Reply to this comment