Poll: Public more open to legalizing illegal immigrants than five years ago
By a 53%-43% margin, people questioned in the poll say that main focus of the federal government should be on developing a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants to become legal residents, rather than deporting them.
That’s a switch from 2011, when by a 55%-42% margin, Americans said that deporting undocumented residents and stopping more of them from coming into the country should be the main focus of U.S policy on illegal immigration.
As expected, the poll indicates a partisan divide on the issue, as well as a generational divide, with younger people saying allowing undocumented immigrants to become legal should be the top priority, and a slight plurality of those 50 and older saying the emphasis should be on deportation and border security.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
I don’t believe I’ve been polled on this one.
bernzright777 on January 22, 2013 at 4:09 PM
I swear young people today(and at 35, I ain’t that far removed from that group) have to be the most out-of-touch bunch I think I’ve ever seen. Literally every policy they claim to support does nothing but make their lives more miserable, yet they never seem to make the connection.
Doughboy on January 22, 2013 at 4:13 PM
And, if we wait another 5 years and ask the same question the answer will be 63% to 37% because more illegal will come in and more illegal and their supporters will say YES!!!!
D-fusit on January 22, 2013 at 4:15 PM
The War of Attrition.
People are just sick and tired of fighting the ‘Scofflaw Criminal Illegal Immigrants Amnesty’ fight.
They’re throwing in the towel.
And I can kinda dig it. Screw it. The writing is on the wall.
The GOP is all but dead.
SD Tom on January 22, 2013 at 4:15 PM
One thing I think I learned (from 2012) is that young people are increasingly likely to be a minority. IIRC Romney won young whites, but got obliterated by the rest of the young (minorities).
El_Terrible on January 22, 2013 at 4:18 PM
we need another vietnam to thin out their herds
ChunkyLover on January 22, 2013 at 4:18 PM
More moochers needed for the D party.
Schadenfreude on January 22, 2013 at 4:18 PM
El_Terrible on January 22, 2013 at 4:19 PM
If only because they’re sick of hearing about it.
CurtZHP on January 22, 2013 at 4:21 PM
This is kind of what happens when one side digs in and insists on “zero tolerance” – and then starts babbling about myths like “self-deportation” … or believing that we could ever possibly deport 22 million (more than Hitler’s deportations and the Indian Partition combined – and you remember the optics of those right?)
Anyway – by refusing to talk – you get left out of the conversation.
I know, I know … “Uphold the LAW DAMMIT!!”
LOL
HondaV65 on January 22, 2013 at 4:22 PM
Well of course when daddy feral government is there to help you pay your bills because now there are ton of legal “illegal” entering the workforce more than willing to work for 4 dollars an hour
watertown on January 22, 2013 at 4:22 PM
pretty much and when it goes you are going to see some pretty terrific street fighting imagie whats going to happen when peoples government cheques stop comming.
ChunkyLover on January 22, 2013 at 4:22 PM
Go frack yourself
ChunkyLover on January 22, 2013 at 4:24 PM
Amnesty would be the end of the GOP, and the end of America as a constitutional republic.
You might want to live in a fascist one party state, lorded over by ultra-wealth party members with the vast majority of Americans living in 3rd world poverty, but there are still some who refuse.
Deport every single illegal. Period.
Rebar on January 22, 2013 at 4:26 PM
I don’t buy it.
From NumbersUSA
The scientific national sample of 800 respondents by cell phone had a margin of error of 3.46%, and the partisan breakdown was D +3.
The poll found this support for two very different responses to illegal immigration:
•61% of voters said they favor Arizona-style immigration laws.
•40% of voters said they support the Obama Administration’s administrative action to give two-year work permits to younger illegal immigrants.
The report noted that the exit polling was consistent with a CBS poll in August that found 63% of voters believed Arizona’s immigration enforcement laws are either “about right” or “didn’t go far enough.”
TxAnn56 on January 22, 2013 at 4:37 PM
This poll is of adults. They should only be polling citizens.
Rose on January 22, 2013 at 4:38 PM
The aspect of minoritizing whites never comes up in these immigration/amnesty discussions. It would be the only topic that matters in any other nation in the history of nations, if faced with the threat. No race of people has been scapegoated as much as white Americans, and that is as a majority. It gets really ugly once they succeed in minoritizing whites in the US. White conservatives might want to consider carving out their own Israel/Liberia while they are still unchained.
Buddahpundit on January 22, 2013 at 4:38 PM
The GOP doesn’t have the guts to say no to taxes or spending, they’re sure not going to get in the way when they’re called racists.
El_Terrible on January 22, 2013 at 4:39 PM
Would love to see a source for this. The libtard media loves this sophistry, but I’ve never heard anyone serious say it could or should be done.
You don’t reward lawbreakers with the privilege of citizenship. Want to make them legal residents? Fine, make it hard, and expensive as hell, but they CANNOT become citizens EVER.
CantCureStupid on January 22, 2013 at 4:41 PM
I’m still pissed off at the pilgrims. Their papers were definitely not in order.
John the Libertarian on January 22, 2013 at 5:01 PM
We seem to be losing everywhere. Why? In this case, conservatives will be an extinct political entity in 30 years.
eva3071 on January 22, 2013 at 5:19 PM
Social issues, economic issues, foreign policy issues…I could go on and on.
eva3071 on January 22, 2013 at 5:21 PM
The statists took over the educational system its no wonder why we are losing.
ChunkyLover on January 22, 2013 at 5:25 PM
30 years? More like 3 years
Ditkaca on January 22, 2013 at 5:25 PM
Did CNN remember to poll the 20%+ of the people in California that speak no english in their poll?
Freddy on January 22, 2013 at 5:59 PM