(07/14/10) -

More Americans Voice Support for Deporting Illegal Immigrants

Three-in-five respondents say illegal immigrants take jobs away from Americans, few back the notion of a “path to citizenship.”

Three-in-five respondents say illegal immigrants take jobs away from Americans, few back the notion of a “path to citizenship.”

As the debate over Arizona’s immigration law reaches Washington, the proportion of Americans who would deport all illegal immigrants who are currently working in the United States has increased noticeably, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,002 American adults, 67 per cent of respondents say immigration is currently having a negative effect in the country, while only 17 per cent believe it is having a positive effect.

Only three-in-ten respondents (31%) think the current level of legal immigration should be maintained, while 45 per cent of Americans want the number of people allowed to relocate legally into the country to decrease.

Illegal Immigrants

As has been the case in previous surveys conducted this year by Angus Reid Public Opinion, most Americans hold negative views on illegal immigration. Three-in-five respondents (59%) believe the illegal immigrants in the United States take jobs away from American workers, while just one third (32%) regard them as people who are employed in jobs that American workers do not want.

The idea of a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants is only supported by 27 per cent of respondents, while a further 16 per cent would allow them to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis without an opportunity to become citizens. Half of Americans (50%) would require all illegal immigrants to leave their jobs and be deported—a proportion that has increased by eight points since June.

Arizona’s Immigration Bill

The immigration bill passed in Arizona earlier this year has provoked a heated debate over the status of illegal immigrants in the United States. The Justice Department has recently filed a lawsuit, claiming that only federal authorities should be in a position to enforce immigration laws.

A majority of respondents say they would like to implement some of the measures that are part of Arizona’s immigration bill in their own states, including making it a crime to transport someone who is an illegal immigrant (76%); arresting people who are unable to provide documentation to prove they are in the U.S. legally (67%); requiring state and local police to determine the status of a person if there is “reasonable suspicion” that they are illegal immigrants (66%); and making it a crime to hire laborers on the street (55%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 8 to July 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.