Polls & Research
Archive Search
Mexicans Divided Over U.S. Immigration Bill
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Mexico are split on whether lawmakers in the United States will be able to agree on a controversial reform to the country's immigration guidelines, according to a poll by Reforma. 50 per cent of respondents think a bill is not likely to be approved by the end of this year, while 47 per cent believe it can be done.
In March 2006, the Pew Hispanic Center calculated the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at somewhere between 11.5 million to 12 million.
In March 2007, U.S. president George W. Bush met with Mexican president Felipe Calderón in México. In a joint press conference, Bush defended his proposed immigration bill saying, "If people can come into our country, for example, on a temporary basis to work, doing jobs Americans aren't doing, they won't have to sneak across the border. And by the way, a system that encourages people to sneak across the border is a system that leads to human rights abuses."
Last month, the U.S. Senate discussed a revised immigration bill, which would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa." After paying fees, a $5,000 U.S. fine and then returning to their home countries, they could apply for permanent residency, which could be granted in eight to 13 years. The bill also includes a proposal to introduce a points system that would prioritize access to the U.S. for skilled and educated immigrants, as well as new family-reunification guidelines.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who is seeking the Republican Party's presidential nomination, criticized the bill, saying, "I think we should not call it the 'Z' visa; we should call it the 'A' visa, because it's amnesty and that's what it stands for."
Polling Data
How likely is it that an immigration reform be approved in the United States this year?
Very / Somewhat likely | 47% |
Not much / Not at all likely | 50% |
Not sure | 3% |
Source: Reforma
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 850 Mexican adults, conducted on May 26, 2007. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.