Illegals I don't know who they polled
Immigration Bill Provisions Gain Wide Support in Poll
By JULIA PRESTON and MARJORIE CONNELLY
Published: May 25, 2007
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.
Americans Support Immigration Change
Graphic
Views on Immigration
Related
Poll Shows View of Iraq War Is Most Negative Since Start (May 25, 2007)
Senate Votes to Keep Plan to Make Immigrants Legal (May 25, 2007)
How the Poll Was Conducted (May 25, 2007)
Complete Poll Results (pdf)
Times Topics: ImmigrationTaking 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.
At the same time, Americans have mixed feelings about whether the recent wave of immigration has been beneficial to the country, the survey found, and they are sharply divided over how open the United States should be to future immigrants.
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.
The bill, which is backed by President Bush and a bipartisan group of senators, would allow illegal immigrants who were in the United States before Jan. 1 of this year to obtain legal status by paying fines and passing background checks.
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.
Many Republican lawmakers have rejected this plan, calling it amnesty that rewards immigrants who broke the law when they entered the United States. But the poll showed that differences are not great between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, with 66 percent of Republicans in the poll favoring the legalization proposal, as well as 72 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of independents.
Rick Nu?ez, a 29-year-old quality control technician from Pennsauken, N. J., who identified himself as a Republican, said in a follow-up telephone call that he favored a legalization plan.
"Illegal immigrants are imbedded in our nation, so allowing them to apply for a work visa would be a good way to draw them in and set a path for them to become legal," said Mr. Nu?ez, whose family came from Puerto Rico. "If they have been working here and are law abiding and can contribute to our country, they should be allowed to stay and become citizens."
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.
Under the Senate bill, illegal immigrants would have to wait eight years before they could become permanent residents and at least 13 years to become citizens.
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.
The bill does not include a path to citizenship for guest workers. In the debate, Democrat senators have sharply criticized the temporary-worker plan, saying it would create an underclass of easily exploited low-skilled workers. On Wednesday, senators voted to cut back the number of guest workers to 200,000 from the 400,000 proposed in the bill.
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Megan Thee, Marina Stefan and Dalia Sussman contributed reporting.
More Articles in National ?
By JULIA PRESTON and MARJORIE CONNELLY
Published: May 25, 2007
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.
Americans Support Immigration Change
Graphic
Views on Immigration
Related
Poll Shows View of Iraq War Is Most Negative Since Start (May 25, 2007)
Senate Votes to Keep Plan to Make Immigrants Legal (May 25, 2007)
How the Poll Was Conducted (May 25, 2007)
Complete Poll Results (pdf)
Times Topics: ImmigrationTaking 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.
At the same time, Americans have mixed feelings about whether the recent wave of immigration has been beneficial to the country, the survey found, and they are sharply divided over how open the United States should be to future immigrants.
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.
The bill, which is backed by President Bush and a bipartisan group of senators, would allow illegal immigrants who were in the United States before Jan. 1 of this year to obtain legal status by paying fines and passing background checks.
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.
Many Republican lawmakers have rejected this plan, calling it amnesty that rewards immigrants who broke the law when they entered the United States. But the poll showed that differences are not great between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, with 66 percent of Republicans in the poll favoring the legalization proposal, as well as 72 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of independents.
Rick Nu?ez, a 29-year-old quality control technician from Pennsauken, N. J., who identified himself as a Republican, said in a follow-up telephone call that he favored a legalization plan.
"Illegal immigrants are imbedded in our nation, so allowing them to apply for a work visa would be a good way to draw them in and set a path for them to become legal," said Mr. Nu?ez, whose family came from Puerto Rico. "If they have been working here and are law abiding and can contribute to our country, they should be allowed to stay and become citizens."
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.
Under the Senate bill, illegal immigrants would have to wait eight years before they could become permanent residents and at least 13 years to become citizens.
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.
The bill does not include a path to citizenship for guest workers. In the debate, Democrat senators have sharply criticized the temporary-worker plan, saying it would create an underclass of easily exploited low-skilled workers. On Wednesday, senators voted to cut back the number of guest workers to 200,000 from the 400,000 proposed in the bill.
1 2 Next Page ?
Megan Thee, Marina Stefan and Dalia Sussman contributed reporting.
More Articles in National ?
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Everything I have seen shows over 70% of the country is against it! 0 -
Didn't you just read that story, They said "you are for it". Now try to remember that ! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by 47studebaker
Didn't you just read that story, They said "you are for it". Now try to remember that !
They also said they wanted a bullet to the head![:D][;)]0 -
This was a telephone poll. 5% said they were against the guest worker program, 5% said they were for it, 90% said "No habla Ingles". 0 -
Quote from Mr. Nunez : ""Illegal immigrants are imbedded in our nation, so allowing them to apply for a work visa would be a good way to draw them in and set a path for them to become legal," said Mr. Nu?ez, whose family came from Puerto Rico. "If they have been working here and are law abiding and can contribute to our country,".
Just how can he say these Illegals are "law abiding" when they are already breaking out laws by illegally comming here and staying here?0 -
What did they used to say before we were all dumbed down by TV?
You can't believe anything that you read in the papers.
... I think that still holds true.
... and that's why the papers are in big trouble ... circulation-wise.
[:D]0 -
..."It will bring them out of the darkness and into the sunshine"...so says 'ol Teddy. IF this bill is so widely supported by the lefties and illegals, it can't be a good thing...[;)] 
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I guess they will come out so we can see how were spending the 89 Billion in support of them a year. BS Senators have sold out for the ole Dollar.[:(!][V][xx(][:(] 0 -
Poll question:
Would you rather have ilegal aliens or legal imigrants,Why legal ofcoarse, there you have it.0
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