Two-thirds of Americans support illegal immigrants getting legal status - only 15% favor a fence as the primary means of stopping border hopping

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

As opponents from the right and left challenge an immigration bill before Congress, there is broad support among Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — for the major provisions in the legislation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Taking a pragmatic view on a divisive issue, a large majority of Americans want to change the immigration laws to allow illegal immigrants to gain legal status and to create a new guest worker program to meet future labor demands, the poll found.

[...]

Half of Americans say they are ready to transform the process for selecting new immigrants as proposed in the bill, giving priority to job skills and education levels over family ties to the United States, which have been the foundation of the immigration system for four decades.

Point by point, large majorities expressed support for measures in the legislation that has been under debate since Monday in the Senate.

The nationwide telephone poll did not ask respondents about the immigration bill itself, but there were questions about its most significant provisions. It was conducted May 18 to 23 with 1,125 adults, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

[...]

Two-thirds of those polled said illegal immigrants who had a good employment history and no criminal record should gain legal status as the bill proposes, which is by paying at least $5,000 in fines and fees and receiving a renewable four-year visa.

[...]

Most of those polled agreed that illegal immigrants should eventually be allowed to apply to become American citizens. But 59 percent said illegal immigrants should be considered for citizenship only after legal immigrants who have played by the rules.

[...]

Two-thirds of Americans in the survey favored creating a guest-worker program for future immigrants. The bill would create a temporary-worker program in which immigrants would come for three stints of two years each, going home for one year between each stint and returning home for good after the third.

More than half of those who favored the guest-worker program said the workers should be allowed to apply to become permanent immigrants and eventually American citizens, if they maintain a strong work history and commit no crimes. About a third of those who favored the program disagreed, saying guest workers should be required to return home after their temporary period.

[...]

75 percent of those who responded favored tougher penalties for employers of illegal workers, and 82 percent said the federal government should do more to reinforce the border. But only 15 percent favored fences as the main method to reduce illegal border crossings.

[...]

51 percent favored overhauling the American immigration system to make it more attuned to economic demands, giving priority to job skills and educational accomplishment. Only 34 percent said that immigrants with family ties in the United States should take precedence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/us/25pol...agewanted=print

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

As opponents from the right and left challenge an immigration bill before Congress, there is broad support among Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — for the major provisions in the legislation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Interesting that there is no link to the actual poll...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

ET,

A quick google would have revealed the links.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/us/25mbox.html

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/...0070525poll.pdf

[Yodrak 7]

Gupt,

Polls are interesting things - a good pollster (like a good statistician) can get any result they want by the way they formulate the questions.

Yodrak

As opponents from the right and left challenge an immigration bill before Congress, there is broad support among Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — for the major provisions in the legislation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/us/25pol...agewanted=print

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

ET,

A quick google would have revealed the links.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/us/25mbox.html

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/...0070525poll.pdf

Yeah but why bother when I can have you post the links for me?

Gupt,

Polls are interesting things - a good pollster (like a good statistician) can get any result they want by the way they formulate the questions.

Yodrak

As opponents from the right and left challenge an immigration bill before Congress, there is broad support among Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — for the major provisions in the legislation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/us/25pol...agewanted=print

I think peejays post with a poll showing opposite results makes that pretty clear.

Edited May 25, 2007 by ET-US2004