CBS Poll: Most Support Immigration Reform

Key Provisions Of Reform Bill Receive Wide Support From Both Republicans And Democrats

(CBS)  Becoming Legal

Some critics have described the current bill as providing "amnesty" to illegal immigrants, but most Americans would allow people who are in the country illegally to keep their jobs and try to become legal U.S. residents.

Sixty-two percent of Americans say illegal immigrants who have lived and worked in the U.S. for at least two years should be given a chance to keep their jobs and apply for legal status. Just 33% think such people should be deported.

This approach is supported by majorities of both Democrats (66%) and Republicans (61%).

Two-thirds (67%) also support a more specific proposal to offer illegal immigrants a visa, contingent on meeting certain requirements.

Sixty-seven percent favor allowing illegal immigrants to apply for a four-year visa that could be renewed, as long as they pay a fine, have a good work record and pass a criminal background check; 28% oppose this. Again, support runs across party lines; 66% of Republicans and 72% of Democrats favor it.

But no jumping ahead in line: Most of those who support this proposal think illegal immigrants who apply for visas should have to wait until all legal applicants have been considered first.

Guest Worker Programs

Most Americans accept a guest worker type of program, despite the political controversy over this component of the proposed legislation. Two-thirds (66%) support creating a guest worker program that would allow people from other countries to work in the U.S. for a temporary period of time; 30% oppose that.

Both Democrats (64%) and Republicans (70%) favor such a program.

Among those who favor a guest worker program, more than half would support allowing such workers to become permanent residents eventually if they have good employment records and have not committed any crimes. Just 38% would prefer that the workers return home once their allowed work period expires.

There is no consensus, however, on what the impact of a guest worker program might be on illegal immigration. Forty-five percent think illegal immigration would increase as a result of a guest worker program, while 41% think it would decrease.

One of the reasons Americans may accept many of these proposals is that they view the U.S. economy as doing pretty well. Although just 11% believe the economy is getting better, 44% say it is staying the same.

Just one in 5 would like to see the number of visas issued to specialized workers from other countries increased. A similar percentage would like to see the number of such visas issued decreased, and nearly half want them kept at the present level.

Merit-Based Or Family-Based Immigration?

The public is somewhat receptive to another change: giving priority to immigrants based on their background instead of whether they already have family in the U.S. More than half (51%) support giving priority to immigrants based on their education, job skills and work experience, while 34% say that priority should be given to family members of immigrants already in the U.S.

Republicans are firmly behind giving priority to immigrants based on their background rather than family ties, while Democrats are divided.

Employer Measures

The legislation would also raise the fines levied on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and a majority of Americans approve: 75% favor increasing enforcement of laws about hiring illegal immigrants and the size of the fines for employers who do so. Just 8% are opposed.

Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats favor this proposal.

But Americans are divided on creating a federal database that would include everyone in the country who wants to work (immigrants and U.S. citizens), which employers would access before hiring an employee to determine whether the person is in the country legally: 45% think this is a good idea, while 49% think it is a bad idea.

[proenglishusa]

Aside from the massive problems with immigration and the extreme need for reform, the other pressing issue for us as a country is the ambivalence of the federal and state governments to be gun-shy about making English our official language. I am not talking about making it our common language or making it appealing when it benefits a group of people. I am surely not talking about invoking political correctness to not offend a group of people.

Our heritage, our history and the blood shed by countless Americans to give us liberty, freedom and the right to vote is a sacred American treasure.

Allowing people to vote, to get a driver's license and to conduct official government business in a language other than English is wrong and un-American.

I am proud to say that I am an immigrant who came to the US at the age of four and my parents had the fortitude and foresight to know that among the many things we needed to do to become full-fledged Americans, was to learn English.

Visit my Blog at www.proenglishusa.blogspot.com to join and learn how you can get involved in making English our official language.

Eddie V Garcia

[standlee5]

I think this story proves how important the internet is to our freedom. The media cannot be trusted to report fairly, the politicians are all corrupt and couldn't care less what the people think, and religion also has an agenda. The only real tool we have is the internet and you stillhave to be careful for disinformation. We have to stick together and make our thoughts known and if it takes writing every day to media, senators, local politicians. That's what we'll have to do.

[klingon69]

and no laws against giving these people housing, utilities, bank accounts, and other means of earning a living here, including business and driver's licenses, or car ownership.
Posted by Frankinaz at 01:13 PM : May 27, 2007

The city of Farmers Branch recently passed legislation that was overwhelmingly approved by the voting citizenry. That penalized landlords/owners/managers that rented to illegal aliens. Some idiot fed judge blocked the injunction saying that the city had not right to dabble in immigration affairs, that was their baliwick.

[lostcountry1]

wow, i suggest everyone go to www.lframerica.com as that is where the real debate is regarding illegal immigration.i just tried to forward an e-mail to my elected offifials about the traitorous kennedy amnesty bill but they are blocking the site, what a bunch of cowards. i'll remember this come november thats for sure.

[lostcountry1]

speakengl at, thanks for the links. i appreciate the info. i will go there and see if i can help. also knightwolf, good suggestion about the buisiness's being squeezed for deportation costs. you are right that it is they who fuel the illegal problem.i believe that pressure needs to be put on the mexican government also, for it is they who promote the illegals to come here. i understand life is hard for them down there, but they need to stand up to their crooked government instead of running away to america.not much pride in running away.

[knyghtwolf]

and an added note; pass the cost of removing illegals from OUR country to businesses that hire these illegals, that should show the board of directors what profit and loss really means. This is where you get the money, not from honest, hard working AMERICAN'S.

[knyghtwolf]

I have been keeping track of all the people I asked about Immigrant Reform, just a little over 700 people I would ask at random; every single one of them wanted ALL the illegals sent back to their own country AND the businesses that hired them to be fined heavily and to be prosecuted in some form or fashion of asset forfiture that would make it very difficult for them to even want to try it again. Sounds good so far, the real criminals here are the businesses that bring them here, hire them and work them to death to show a better profit margin at the board of directors.

[speakengl]

lostcountry1: If you want blogs discussing illegal immigration and a variety of other subjects, go to firesociety. Lots of discussion there and sharing of information on what we can do to fight this thing. Also go to www.lframerica.com and check out the info on the March for America June 16th.

[bellal-2009]

The only exception to this is the war veterans.
Posted by fematrailers at 01:09 PM : May 27, 2007


I hear you, fematrailers, thank god for our war vets, they're about the only ones I trust anymore.

[bellal-2009]

Last night on DSCHD they had a show called Risk Takers and it profiled the border patrol in Az. OMG these agents risk their lives to protect the border and also to protect the illegal border crossers who attempt to cross the Az desert sure to perish if not for the border patrol catching them. Any business who hires illegals are supporting this situation. They are they ones responsible when border patrol agents are killed in the line of duty and they are the ones responsible when the illegals perish in the desert. This government is not prosecuting these business owners so are contributing to the danger our border patrol agensts face.

[lostcountry1]

lest we forget our soldiers who fight and have fought so bravely for us.god bless each and every one past and present. they are the reason we can sit here on our butts and play with our computers. it is for their memory that i take an active roll in this illegal immigration problem. i dare anyone who supports amnesty or anything besides deportation to go and tell a veteran that they fight and die for some other country to take over their country.i personally want to thank them on this memorial weekend for doing soo much.also lets remember that they cant help being in iraq its their job.i'ts the treasonous,awol,commander in theif that is wasting them like it was free!

[lostcountry1]

i guess we are all just spitting into the wind if we think our elected officials will do anything to either create laws that help legal americans or enforce the ones already on the books. it comes down to money in the end anyway right? i think our congressmen,either red or blue want them here to exploit them into a new voter base. i mean what is harder than promising uneducated desperate people things that they will never have anyway?that's why i suggested a "lawyer army" since they are the ones who know best how to prosecute criminals, namely our elected officials.they could open alot of political positions by eliminating the real crooks in this country.

[lostcountry1]

fematrailers i think your on the right track here. when people start saying that they will have to fight to keep their country, others think that you are some kind of warmonger or loony. but doesn't law enforcement come down to a use of force? for instance, when a cop is chasing down an armed bank robber does he yell" stop or i'll blog you?" NO he yells "stop or i'll shoot" then the perp. either stops or gets shot. how did america come to be free? did the american revolutionaries say "go back to brittain or we'll sue you? maybe it was more like, we are sick of you *** and we are willing to fight for our freedom"and that takes arms to fight the arms being used against you.

[frankinaz]

Historically, this country has been far too lenient to illegal immigrants; the U. S. rewards them and their employers for breaking many laws and lying to the goverment at all levels, instead of punishing both parties. This country loses billions of dollars to these lawbreakers, and its time to end illegal immigration once and for all. However, unless this country passes, amends, and enforces strict legislation against illegal immigration and their employers, this issue will again re-surface in the future. For example, there is still no punishment for trespassing into this country or staying here illegally, and no laws against giving these people housing, utilities, bank accounts, and other means of earning a living here, including business and driver's licenses, or car ownership. Illegal immigrants also receive education for their children, along with medical and some health care, often at taxpayer's expense. Worst of all, this bill does not remove an incentive for illegal immigrant women to enter this country illegally to have their "Anchor Babies." This is an antiquated law that needs to be amended to stop rewarding illegal immigrants. Punish these people and the businesses that hire them, not reward them.

[rich1620]

"Terriorest in position and waiting"
Mexicans are not wimps like they pretend to be. Many of them are artist with switchblade knives and can cut off both of your ears before you realize that they are gone. Sixty percent of those that have invaded our country are banditos from Mexico. The other forty percent are considered terrorist and foreign spies from all over the world.

While Moslem terrorists are using military tactics to lure our fighting troops over seas, the terrorists that are going to take over our country have been infiltrating our borders by the millions without no one here to stop them. Now we are helpless and the clock is ticking waiting for the right time to for them to overtake our country.
I can%u2019t understand President Bush%u2019s motive for his irrational military actions and all the bad appointments that he has made. I believe that him appointing a Mexican as an attorney general during this time is very relevant.

Our only defense that we have here at home is the few Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies which are staffed with just enough personnel to respond to isolated incidents. The only exception to this is the war veterans.

I believe that all the veterans%u2019 medical files that were on the computer disks that were stolen from our VA hospitals were done for the purpose of determining how many veterans are healthy enough to bear arms as the final level of our defense.

[lostcountry1]

i appologise i guess the topic was about a b.s. news poll.where is the blog site for amaricans against illegal immigrants?

[cpaide]

The NYT/CBS survey can't even pass a simple "smell test" for validity. Use this link: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/20070525poll.pdf to see for yourself.

On page 32, questions 104 and 105 ask if you voted in the 2004 presidential election and who you voted for. The survey results are:

35 Kerry
36 Bush
2 Nader
5 Voted, won't say whom
22 Didn't vote
1 Don't Know

If this survey was truly random, the percentage for Nader would be 0.4 and Didn't Vote would be 44 (actual nationwide percentages from the 2004 election).

So the survey polled 5 times the number of Nader voters, and only 1/2 the number of non-voters as expected from a random sample. Furthermore, the margin of error for nonvoters is 22 percentage points--not +/- 3 as the survey disclaimer says.

So don't get too upset about this little survey or the way CBS presents it. This is an ENTERTAINMENT site--not a research site or even a news site.

Any accountant, actuary or statistics 101 student can tell you why this survey is flawed and not a "random survey". I won't bore you with the details but it has to do with sample selection.

"He who has anonymous call blocking or does not answer the phone or waste his time with a phone survey is no better than he who has no phone."

Phone surveys have never been very accurate, and they certainly are not random. However, they ARE inexpensive and ENTERTAINING.

[lostcountry1]

here is an idea, since the country is run by lawyers, couldn't we get some aspiring lawyers to file papers on anyone that hires, helps or otherwise supports illegal behavior?i would think that aiding and abbetting could cover most situations.and like i said before if we start a reward program,(like they did with osama,remember him?),of say $20.00 im sure there would be some leads generated.round up all the law breakers,prosecute the aid & abbetters and deport the law breakers and send the bill to mexico, since they support this illegal activity. if they dont pay up remove some of our u.s. factories from their country, you know like boycotting things like this?any better ideas?

[lostcountry1]

i've heard it said "we will protect our country from all invaders both foreign and domestic" or something like that. is doing anything besides insisting we deport all illegals actually condoning this passive takeover? and if you think it's okay for them to come here aren't you going against the basic principle of protecting this country?i wish there were some grey areas in the law, that i could use, to get away with breaking the law. not that i break the law, i dont. going to jail is counterproductive to raising my family, and working toward a better future.it would just be nice if soo many came to my aid if i had a little legal trouble that caused me some discomfort.

[lostcountry1]

i come to this site to look for a glimps of info. that provides a solution to this problem"loosing our country to the foriegn invaders from the south"what i mostly see is arguments about statistics etc...the reason anyone would be concerned with this poll is because they are mad about the amnesty bill put forth by the backpeddling democrats.those who oppose the passive takeover say so with conviction.anyone who tries to justify why we need illegals is either one of them,or has something to gain by supporting their being allowed or neccessary for the operation of this country.they want the money to send back to mexico, why should we think that they care about america?