Most likely voters approve of Obama's new immigration policy, poll shows

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(CBS News) Most likely voters, including two-thirds of independents, approve of President Obama's decision to let certain undocumented youth stay and work in the country legally, according to a new poll.

Sixty-four percent of likely voters surveyed by Bloomberg said they agreed with the new policy that Mr. Obama announced last Friday, while 30 percent disagreed. Similarly, 66 percent of independents supported the policy. Democrats and Republicans came down along partisan lines: 56 percent of Republicans opposed the policy change, while 86 percent of Democrats supported it.

Under the new policy, according to the Department of Homeland Security, immigrants under 30 who were brought to the United States before the age of 16, meet certain qualifications and "do not present a risk to national security or public safety" will be considered for relief from deportation - effective immediately. The policy is similar to the proposed DREAM Act, which was voted down by Congress in late 2010. But it does not provide a pathway to citizenship, which the DREAM Act would have.

Latino activists and advocates for immigration reform praised Mr. Obama for taking action through executive order in the absence of congressional action on the issue. On CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney refused to say whether he would reverse the policy. He called the move a politically motivated, temporary solution and said that undocumented youth deserve a long-term solution.

The president "should have worked on this years ago if he felt seriously about this," Romney said. "He saves these sort of things until four-and-a-half months before the general election."

While most likely voters approve of the policy, the Bloomberg poll also showed that few -- just 4 percent -- consider immigration their top concern this election year. Previous polls have shown that even among Hispanic voters, economic concerns trump immigration as an issue. Romney released a Spanish-language ad this week that slams Mr. Obama for the struggling economy.

[GTR5]

When are they going to deport Obama's illegal Aunt and illegal Uncle?

[maverick537]

This a bad reporting, this is not a new policy, it was issued in a DHS memo in 2011, and has been in practice for many years. This is just a tactic by Obama to stir up the race card and garner him votes.


You can go to the Immigration Policy Centers website here to learn about it.

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/understanding-prosecutorial-discretion-immigration-law

[LtSmily]

Why is every thing so difficult. We used to be a Nation that followed the Rule of Law. What does the law say on this matter? Regardless of president Reagan in '86 or Obama in '12 a President is NOT above the law. When we accept that he is, we are completely lost as a nation. What does the LAW ON THE BOOKS say about illegal aliens? How does it define illegal aliens? Using this as a political tool to gain votes is sickening at best, treason at worst. Executive orders are filth no matter which Party they spew from and have no bearing on the People of the United States. Executive orders are only directives from the President to Executive Branch Federal agencies, but still have to follow the laws as established by Congress. Article II Section I if you are interested. The problem we have in this country now is a civic-minded ignorance epidemic where most people think the Federal Government can come in and do whatever it wants, and the President can say/do whatever he/she wants. That is flat wrong, but who can say no to the government? With nearly unlimited resources and operatives who smear good names as regular practice now, we are getting the worst of the worst in Federal Office now (and for the past 20 years). Caveat Emptor applies in voting as well as life in general.

[msfit32]

I live in the State with the highest EMPLOYED illegal alien population...we also have one of the highest UNEMPLOYMENT rates in the nation...do you think there is a correlation here?

You cannot get certain jobs in the resteraunt industry, all of the roofers and people putting up fencing speak Spanish...it's like reverse discrimination here..entire industries taken over by non-citizens while my neighbors lose their houses because they can't find a job.

As far as the poll that finds a majority support for this pandering to non-citizens over citizens needs...this same poll finds a 13 point favor for Obama in the general election despite all other polls showing a dead heat. Whatever.

Don't tell me this administration is the one who cares about the middle class....this is RIDICULOUS.

[realpatriot1776]

yes I agree most will agree with the new policy until it is obvious that this illegal being give an unfair pass, is taking their job, as Americans we seem so divided we can not even decide on who is entitled to a job on Our soil, we are pathetic

[marychgo]

I keep SAYING the American people are a lot smarter than the hateful Fox/Rush posters on these threads. We KNOW which party -- and which presidential candidate -- cares about democracy and about Americans who work for a living. (Clue: It's NOT the GOP and Romney.)

[Ulgnud]

Since Americans have already weighed in on the subject of Amnesty for criminal invaders I find these poll results highly questionable. Especially since giving them Amnesty he backstabbed every US Citizen looking for work.

[occupy_cbs]

Most likely voters approve of Obama's new immigration policy, poll shows



Funny thing, even teabagging extremist sen. marco rubio was in favor of allowing these immigrants to stay, until President Obama showed his support for the same exact thing......so rubio was for it, before he was against it......typical republican today - hypocritical!

[44wonder]

occupy What don't you hang it up for the night....most of us quit reading your Looney Left Liberal comments long ago...

[maverick537]

Occupy, why dont you look up some information first nefore make a fool of your self. Rubio who is lf Latin decent, as well as the rest of the Government has been kicking a Bill aound for years. And as a friend pointed out to me alst night this act by Obama was prosecutorial discretion, which if you research in the immigration policy centers website, this was already in effect for at least a year at DHS. More campaign shenanigans to stir up the race card.

[occupy_cbs]

SD92040: "Good for Obama! He's really been taking a beating, and now he is behind in all of the polls".




LOL! Maybe nationally, but that hardly matters -- it's the swing states like willard mittens romney's home state of michigan!!

Michigan: Romney vs. Obama

RCP Average...........5/10 - 6/14.........48.0 -- 42.6.....Obama +5.4
Rasmussen Reports.....6/14 - 6/14.........50 ---- 42.......Obama +8
Baydoun/Foster........6/12 - 6/12.........47 ---- 46.......Obama +1
EPIC-MRA..............6/2 - 6/5 600.......45 ---- 46.......Romney +1
PPP...................5/24 - 5/27.........53 ---- 39.......Obama +14
Glengariff Group......5/10 - 5/11.........45 ---- 40.......Obama +5

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/mi/michigan_romney_vs_obama-1811.html


Funniest thing about this RCP polling in michigan, is that even the fox/rasmussen poll has Obama ahead of the RCP average of +5.4 Obama.

It's all about the battleground states and not the nationwide polls!

[occupy_cbs]

Hey infant -- I hope this fox/rasmussen poll doesn't make you cry!

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

In the United States, an executive order is an order or directive issued by the head of the executive branch at some level of government. The term executive order is most commonly applied to orders issued by the President, who is the head of the executive branch of the federal government