December 16, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe illegal immigrants should be allowed to get temporary work visas so the government can track them and allow them to earn permanent residence after six years if they learn English, pay a fine, pay any back taxes, and have no criminal record, according to a poll by SRBI Public Affairs released by Time. 63 per cent of respondents support this concept.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe illegal immigrants should be allowed to get temporary work visas so the government can track them and allow them to earn permanent residence after six years if they learn English, pay a fine, pay any back taxes, and have no criminal record, according to a poll by SRBI Public Affairs released by Time. 63 per cent of respondents support this concept.

Conversely, 32 per cent of respondents believe illegal immigration is a crime and no person who entered the U.S. unlawfully should be allowed to work or stay in the country under any circumstances.

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 May 2006, U.S. president George W. Bush addressed the nation to discuss his immigration proposals. Bush outlined five clear objectives: securing the borders, creating a temporary worker program, holding employers to account for the workers they hire, allowing illegal immigrants "who have roots" in the country to apply for citizenship, and helping newcomers assimilate into American society.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate discussed and rejected a revised immigration bill, which would have allowed 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 included 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.

On Dec. 12, homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff discussed his views on illegal immigration, saying, "(Employers) were afraid if we enforced the law, that would hurt their business. The wrong way to address that concern is to shut our eyes to lawbreaking and create what I call silent amnesty."

Polling Data

Two different approaches have been suggested to deal with illegal immigrants. Please tell me which comes closest to your views.

Allow illegal immigrants to get temporary work visas so the government can track them and allow them to earn permanent residence after six years if they learn English, pay a fine, pay any back taxes, and have no criminal record	63%
Make illegal immigration a crime and not allow anyone who entered the country illegally to work or stay in the United States under any circumstances	32%
Neither	3%
No answer / Don’t know	2%

Source: Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas (SRBI) Public Affairs / Time
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,503 registered American voters, conducted from Nov. 12 to Nov. 19, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.