Poll: Arizonans favor reformed pathways to citizenship for immigrants
By Dan Oberhaus November 20, 2011 at 7:14 pm 
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A recent poll conducted by ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy shows Arizonans favor tighter border security and a reformed pathway to citizenship for undocumented Arizona residents.
The poll showed 78 percent of Arizonans surveyed favor a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in Arizona, under the conditions that the alien has no criminal record in Arizona and their country of origin, pays a fine for illegally entering the U.S., gets a taxpayer I.D. number and demonstrates English proficiency.
These results came as a surprise to many, considering Arizona’s traditionally conservative views in regards to immigration laws.
David Daugherty, associate director of research at the Morrison Institute, said the specificity of the poll question produced these results.
“When you start to take immigration apart, people are still very concerned with border issues and when you just ask about immigration people just shake their head,” Daugherty said. “You need to address component parts of the border issue, the path to citizenship and undocumented immigrants.”
Despite these poll results, Arizona politicians are reluctant to tackle the task of granting citizenship to the millions of undocumented immigrants just yet.
Matt Benson, spokesman for Governor Jan Brewer, said he doesn’t want to see the same mistake by President Ronald Reagan happen again. In 1986, Reagan’s legislation made any immigrant who had entered the U.S. before 1982 eligible for amnesty as well as tighter security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Arizonans remain opposed to illegal immigration,” Benson said. “Gov. Brewer stands with the vast majority of Arizonans who want to secure the border first.”
Poll director and senior research fellow at the Morrison Institute Bruce Merrill said, the lack of action on behalf of the government is due to the several facets of illegal immigration being viewed as a single problem.
“The issue of illegal immigration is much more complex than most people realize,” said Merrill in a statement released by the Morrison Institute. “People see the issues of border enforcement and what to do about undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for many years, many with children who are American citizens, as separate issues.”
The poll, which showed that 69 percent of surveyed Republicans and 89 percent of surveyed Democrats supported a reformed pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, indicates that illegal immigration may be a less dividing topic than previously assumed.
“There are certainly more Democrats than Republicans that supported (a reformed pathway to citizenship), but the majority of both groups supported it,” Daugherty said. “I think there is some partisan element to it, but on this particular question it was much less pronounced.”
The poll seems to mirror a shifting political climate in Arizona as the results were released days after the recall election of Sen. Russell Pearce and the election of Greg Stanton as mayor of Phoenix.
The poll, which ran from Oct. 4 to 11, collected data from 600 telephone interviews of adult heads of households on several issues, including immigration reform, healthcare and education in the state of Arizona.
The Morrison Institute released these partial results on Nov. 9. Full results of the poll including issues such as sales taxes will be released at the State of Our State Conference on Nov. 30.
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doberhau@asu.edu
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Categories: Downtown News Newsletter Politics
Tags: arizona Downtown Gov. Jan Brewer illegal immigrants Illegal Immigration Morrison Institute for Public Policy
THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE BILLIONS SUBSIDIZING ILLEGAL ALIENS? E-VERIFY! THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT.
Has everyone seen or heard about the typical American worker, lining up for jobs that are now open after the raids from ICE, leaving wide gaps in staff needs throughout the country. It is obvious to the most prudent of people that if illegal migrants and immigrants fearful of ICE arresting them are fleeing custody. Then business owners really have no choice but to advertise in the local press, or just hang out a hiring sign for legitimate labor? Finally Homeland Security, with the ICE division is sweeping down on criminal companies, who think they exempt from Immigration enforcement. The manifest lightening ICE raids began with the Postville, meatpacking plant in Iowa, when 390 undocumented immigrants were arrested and taken into detention. Soon after the lines grew in volume as Americans turned up for a job opportunity, These are not isolated incidents as other companies have been caught red handed, by the sudden appearance of ICE agents and creating more employment.
This can be accelerated by the ‘The Legal Workforce Act- widely known as E-Verify. It is very distressing that citizens and legal residents must fetch this to the attention of politicians, of a great many who appear to be uninterested to the plight of American workers–that the US government have ignored this illegal alien problem for decades, seemingly denying even the real population size or the massive costs to Americans taxpayers. It’s proven that they just don’t care, or that the interests of Washington lobbyists and the enormity of money flushed into their campaigns by corporations is more important to them than their constituents. Those who enter America illegally are come here for jobs, but are well acquainted in the public entitlement aid structure and are better adapted to use forged ID to get their share of taxpayer dollars–over a hundred billion of those dollars? This astronomical entitlement programs going to migrants and overstay immigrants is going to continue, unless politicians pull-the-plug by enacting the E-Verify law?
A Republican Representative In Decatur, Micky Hammon stated, “The truth is more Alabamians are working today thanks in part to our decision to crack down on illegal immigration.” It is his name on the immigration bill that became law, the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act. Birmingham-area unemployment fell by nearly a full percentage point from 8.9% in September to 8% in October. Illegal alien families are leaving, so what other proof do the Congress need to show that immigration works if imposed?
The ‘Legal workforce Act’ like the tough policing laws in Alabama especially; also adopted in a similar fashion in Georgia, Arizona, Indiana and South Carolina, are producing surprising results of foreign nationals moving away to less inhibited states. Sanctuary States like California, Nevada, run by majority leaning Liberals will soon apprehensively find welfare costs will sky rocket. Is it no conjecture that the Democrats, Liberals and the elitist wealthy Republicans are getting uptight, throwing any piece of ambiguous information—whether the racial card or slurs in their newspaper columns of leftist media. In just the last few days was the fact that a German executive from Mercedes Benz Corporation was arrested in Alabama, evidently displays that the new policing laws are working.
I would expect nothing else in immigration enforcement but to uphold our laws. The same if the local police pulled me over for a traffic offense, and then I would be ready to display my driving license and insurance card. Both major parties are adamant in ‘business as usual’ so nothing changes for the career policy makers; that are why our country is slipping even deeper in to a recession. These privileged leaders only enforce laws, except where they are of an advantage to their interests. Of late it’s ‘Insider Trading’ that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) majority Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and others hope this blemish will fades away in their Congressional record? Look at the seemingly cover-up in the Obama administration with the massive government guarantee for the ‘Solyndra’s’ solar panel corporation that will cost taxpayers $500.million dollars bailed out once again by taxpayers.
The American people’s own advantage comes in future elections, when we have the opportunity to rid Washington of these rascals. Not only can we vote for more TEA PARTY selected leaders whose main agenda is to repack the US government Departments and return them to the control of the 50 states. Then additionally completely trash the Tax Code, which has been profoundly corrupted giving massive tax liberation of subsidies to thousands of corporations, business and well placed friends of legislators, while the rest of us have to pay the tax-man.
Nobody says we shouldn’t attract the highest skilled works, specifically in the Sciences, engineering and other technology. But within our country the most urgent need is for utterly zero-tolerance enforcement for all illegal aliens no options; that’s what the TEA PARTY believes?
Rep. Smith’s THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT’ (H.R.2885.) The ‘Ways and Means Committee led by Majority Speak John Boehner (R-OH) must adopt the Mandatory E-Verify Bill (H.R. 2885.) This would be a great start to cutting down on illegal foreign workers, in every occupation. Don’t be put off by screeners, just keep the barrage going till lawmakers know where you stand on this issue. Call this number at the Washington Switchboard 202-224-3121. Consider that Pro-sovereignty sites as NumbersUSA and hundreds of organizations such as American Patrol, Federation of American Immigration Reform, CAPS, Heritage Foundation and others have the answers on costs, surveys and analysis.