A swift passage of legislation would allow Republican presidential contenders to concentrate on their preferred topics.

Mario Canseco - For weeks, polling companies in the United States have provided plenty of numbers related to the current debate on illegal immigration. As the House of Representatives and the Senate ponder what to do about existing regulations, several themes appear to be significant to American public opinion. An analysis of recent surveys suggests that, for the most part, Americans would welcome guidelines to allow undocumented workers to seek legal status.

The survey by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times showed 63 per cent of respondents favour the "path to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants, provided they register, pay a fine, get fingerprinted, and learn English. Support for a "guest worker" program is at 49 per cent, while the points system for new immigrants—which would give more weight to professional qualifications and command of English than to family ties—stands at 34 per cent.

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press showed a jump in the number of Americans who think increasing the penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants would be the best way to deal with the issue, from 49 per cent in March 2006, to 55 per cent this month.

When the Pew asked Americans about providing a way for illegal immigrants currently in the country to gain legal citizenship if they pass background checks, pay fines and have jobs, 63 per cent agreed. When the word "amnesty" was used to describe the "path to citizenship", support fell to 54 per cent—still a majority.

The poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News framed the issue within the context of a pardon. Two-thirds of Americans support giving illegal immigrants who pay taxes and obey the law a "second chance."

Opinion Dynamics also registered majority support for enforcing the country's current immigration laws, setting up a system for illegal immigrants to become legal residents, and staging raids on businesses that employ large numbers of undocumented workers.

In the survey by TNS for the Washington Post and ABC News, a majority of respondents came out in favour of giving illegal immigrants the right to live in the U.S. legally if they pay a fine and meet other requirements, as well as expanding the guest worker program that allows people from other countries to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis.

The questions posed by Rasmussen Reports led to different outcomes. A survey showed very little support for the "grand bargain" legislation discussed in the Senate, with a large number of respondents suggesting no action is better than passing the bill in its current form.

Rasmussen Reports also allowed respondents to ponder two different "exclusivity" approaches. Support for a focus on securing the border and reducing illegal immigration stands at 69 per cent, while backing for legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States is at 30 per cent.

The debate over illegal immigration has gained momentum a few months before the 2008 presidential election. The Republican Party's main hopefuls have offered different points of view and plans. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has promised the "end of illegal immigration" through "a tamper proof ID card." Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has joined the lesser-known GOP candidates in referring to the bill recently discussed in the Senate as "amnesty." Actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson accused Mexican leaders of having "an economic policy based on exporting their own citizens." Arizona senator John McCain, who supports the Senate "compromise" bill, claims the old rules are "not workable and enforceable."

In the Democratic side, the four main contenders share mostly similar views. New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois senator Barack Obama, former North Carolina senator John Edwards, and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson all agree on a "path to citizenship," albeit under different names and descriptions. Like McCain, Rodham Clinton and Obama would conceivably still vote on an immigration reform bill this year, or, more likely, on several fragments of national security legislation, which would not be part of the "comprehensive" process U.S. president George W. Bush has called for.

Bush, whose approval ratings have plummeted dramatically this year, might see immigration reform as part of his legacy. While the American president has constantly urged for a solution "without amnesty and without animosity," his choice of words to explain the crisis varies greatly depending on the audience. When addressing the Associated Builders and Contractors, he referred to the massive deportation of illegal immigrants as "totally impractical." Less than 24 hours later, at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast, he declared: "We've got to create a lawful way for foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans are not doing. Our economy depends on them."

In less than a month, a majority of Americans has voiced support for seemingly irreconcilable positions; from securing the border and reducing illegal immigration, to establishing a "path to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants and expanding the "guest worker" program. The only evident consensus appears to come in the form of punishment for businesses that employ undocumented workers. Half of respondents to the latest Pew poll think it is essential that the president and Congress revise immigration laws this year. A swift passage of legislation, in any form, would allow the Republican presidential contenders to concentrate on their preferred topics—the war on terrorism, national security, family values and taxes—and blame Democrats, particularly the two current senators, for endorsing the "path to citizenship."

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