Althouse: "Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor giving illegal immigrants in the country an opportunity for legal status with a path to citizenship..."

March 21, 2013

"Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor giving illegal immigrants in the country an opportunity for legal status with a path to citizenship..."

"... according to a poll published Thursday by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution. Support for an earned path to citizenship for those immigrants came from 71 percent of Democrats and also a majority, 53 percent, of Republicans, the poll found."

77 comments:

chickelit said...: What kind of strings are attached?; 3/21/13, 2:04 PM
Nomennovum said...: What kind of strings are attached?

They'll be US citizens.; 3/21/13, 2:06 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Border... what is it good for?; 3/21/13, 2:11 PM
edutcher said...: Brookings is a Demo think tank.

Notice no party alignment breakdown.

Notice also more of the "Resistance Is Futile" mind games.

PS Is this the outfit whose polls Hatman likes to quote?; 3/21/13, 2:11 PM
Bob said...: If this was a corporation asking for money the by-line would be the conflict of interest. But since its "for a good cause" we'll ignore the inherent conflict of interest. Move along; 3/21/13, 2:13 PM
Tank said...: The Report has E.J. Dionne's name on it.

What makes them think hispanics want to become citizens? Most want to come here, work, and send money back "home" to Mexico or elsewhere.; 3/21/13, 2:14 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm in favor of a path to citizenship, as long is it includes tall fences, barbed wire and broken glass. /sarc off :)

On the other hand, we've got some Americans born and bred, who I'd encourage to emmigrate as well...; 3/21/13, 2:14 PM
Nomennovum said...: Let 'em in. Let the gay ones marry. Let them pay for the gummint.

Yo voy a Mexico, bitches.; 3/21/13, 2:15 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor giving illegal immigrants in the country an opportunity for legal status with a path to citizenship...

I favor this. The legal status is foreigner, and the path starts with them leaving the country and applying for legal entry through the normal procedures.; 3/21/13, 2:17 PM
heyboom said...: As a Southern California resident of 28 years, allow me a say on the appropriate path:

The I-5 South right back in to Mexico!; 3/21/13, 2:18 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: The "Public Religion Research Institute" was mentioned on MSNBC.

Filter that.; 3/21/13, 2:18 PM
Nomennovum said...: On the bright side, the more we allow to stay, the more we will attract, and the sooner Alta California will be reunited with Baja California. Adios, putas!; 3/21/13, 2:23 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Nearly two-thirds of Americans...

When they say Americans does that include North, Central, and South Americans?; 3/21/13, 2:29 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: Fortunately, it's not only low skill, low paid workers that both parties are conspiring to screw.

They've also planning on doubling the number of H1B visas to screw high tech workers.

I wish they'd double or triple the number of immigrant law professors so that Althouse could share in the blessings.; 3/21/13, 2:37 PM
Strelnikov said...: Funny how when Leftist institutions like these do a poll, the response it always consistent with their own beliefs.; 3/21/13, 2:38 PM
Third Coast said...: I wonder what the poll results would have been had they included the proviso..."assuming illegal immigrants drive down wages and job opportunities for native born Americans...; 3/21/13, 2:38 PM
sakredkow said...: That's nice. We're a generous people over all.; 3/21/13, 2:39 PM
Strelnikov said...: Hell, I'd say "yes" to this if it was paired with immediate, real border control - which it won't be, of course. The GOP who agree to this plan will, however, insist on firm border control over the next ten years or so, and declare victory.; 3/21/13, 2:41 PM
Nomennovum said...: That's nice. We're a generous people over all.

LOL. That's one way of looking at it. Others would say we're being played for suckers.

Regardless, I beginning to think we deserve it.; 3/21/13, 2:42 PM
Balfegor said...: Re: chickelit:

What kind of strings are attached?

Yes, that's the dealbreaker for me. In the abstract, I don't have an objection to their having a path that ultimately ends in US citizenship. I don't even think it must necessarily be the case that they go to the back of the line behind all the millions and millions of decent, law-abiding would-be immigrants who queued up properly and showed the proper respect for our system of laws and government. But for there to be any fairness at all, beyond the brute, primitive logic of "possession is 9/10ths of the law" there need to be some strings. Some demonstration of good faith.; 3/21/13, 2:51 PM
Anonymous said...: Most Americans support Obamacare if only its positive features are vaguely mentioned.; 3/21/13, 2:54 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Yo voy a Mexico, bitches.

That reminds me of an incident that occurred on the road to Mexico. A guy was hitchhiking to Mexico and another guy in a truck stops.

"Hey, Buddy, where ya head'n?"

"Voy a México."

"Ace! So am I. Hop on."

"No voy a Japon, voy a México."; 3/21/13, 2:57 PM
Alex said...: They will be Democrat voters-for-life.; 3/21/13, 2:57 PM
Aridog said...: Another proviso: I wonder what the poll results would have been had they included the proviso..."assuming the illegal immigrants actually work hard and pay taxes, not breed anchor babies, distribute drugs wholesale, or idle along on welfare."

It's a bullshit poll without qualifiers to make a result meaningful. No control.; 3/21/13, 3:09 PM
dmoelling said...: The easiest way to resolve this is to offer only a legal resident permit without the possibility of citizenship. Removing the vote packing proviso would flush out the true motives of many supporters.; 3/21/13, 3:16 PM
Larry J said...: Sure, let those who entered the country illegally have a path to legalization and citizenship. That just means that those who followed the rules (like my wife) are a bunch of chumps.; 3/21/13, 3:32 PM
Balfegor said...: The easiest way to resolve this is to offer only a legal resident permit without the possibility of citizenship. Removing the vote packing proviso would flush out the true motives of many supporters.

The ones who get most het up about it, yes. But lots of ordinary people support amnesty because of the usual seen vs. unseen bias.

They see the people who cheated and violated the immigration laws to live in the US, see them on the street, with their families, etc. These people are objects of sympathy.

They don't see all the people waiting patiently, respectfully in distant, disagreeable countries, for the chance to immigrate legally. They probably don't know many legal immigrants struggling to navigate all the crazy patchwork of guest-worker laws, desperate to find an employer who will sponsor a work visa for them. These honest people are not objects of pity because they really are invisible. They're too far away, or too ordinary (too assimilated) to become objects of sympathy.

And so naturally, many ordinary people, sympathetic to the former and blissfully unaware of the latter, may prove perfectly happy to sign onto a "reform" that privileges the former, and makes the latter look like absolute morons for doing the decent thing and following the law.

My kinfolk, of course, fall into the latter category, so I suppose this may be my own version of the bias for seen vs. unseen, but I'm pretty sure I'm on the side of the sort of people we ought to favour for immigration purposes. Not that the former should be banned from immigrating to the US. Just that they're much less desireable.; 3/21/13, 3:35 PM
Gahrie said...: That's the wrong question. Of course the American people want people living in the United States to become American citizens.

The question is, do we want millions more illegal immigrants from Mexico drawn by yet another amnesty and a porous border.

Secure the border first.; 3/21/13, 3:43 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Remember when news organizations actually went out and found news and reported it. Now, they are spoon-fed a poll result or press release and they dutifully report it as news. IT IS THE NEW PROPAGANDA BROUGHT TO YOU BY LIBRUL THINK TANKS AND STRATEGERISTS.; 3/21/13, 4:02 PM
Bill said...: The question from the poll:

Which statement comes closest to your view about how
the immigration system
should deal with immigrants
who are currently living
in the U.S. illegally?
The immigration system
should…
(a) Allow them a way to become
citizens provided they
meet certain requirements, 63
(b) Allow them to become
permanent legal residents,
but not citizens 14%
(c) Identify and deport them 1`%
Volunteered: None of these, 1; Don't know 1.

But are these the only choices? Does anyone really think we will have a policy of deporting everyone? Of course not. One option is the status quo: to deport some, and deter others through rules limiting rights including driving licensure and employment. Without that option, or some variation of it, the poll is not valid.; 3/21/13, 4:21 PM
ALP said...: They've also planning on doubling the number of H1B visas to screw high tech workers.
************
I did business immigration for years, including work for Microsoft in Seattle. Thus I have been following MS's advocacy in this area.

I recently spoke with a paralegal I used to work MS cases with - the H-1B "horse race" starts every year on April 1 - just around the corner. I was sure they would be buried in H-1B work - working weekends, long hours - that's the way it was during the dot com boom when April 1 rolled around.

Imagine my shock when she told me they are only filing 30 H-1Bs for MS this year! Huh? They are already drafted, copied. Something doesn't add up. I think we filed 120 the last year I was working for them, and that was in the worst of the recession. If there truly was the dire shortage of tech workers they are always whining about - I am shocked at the low numbers.; 3/21/13, 4:41 PM
Charlie said...: I thought there already was an opportunity for legal status? Why do we need to change the current laws? Just enforce the ones we already have.; 3/21/13, 4:42 PM
n.n said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/21/13, 4:58 PM
n.n said...: Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor displacing American men, women, and children at work, school, and throughout society. They favor a selective rule of law which causes corruption.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor ignoring the causal issues which motivated emigration from Mexico and other nations. They do not want to address the murder committed by criminal cartels, "redistributive change" committed by corrupt governments, and displacement from their land by fanatical environmental policies.

Somehow I doubt it is nearly two-thirds of Americans. In 2012, only 51% of Americans elected to exchange their liberty for submission with benefits. That's nearly 50% of Americans, half of the population, who do not favor progressive corruption.

I wonder how many Americans favor deporting only "criminal" illegal aliens, and establishing Mexico principally, but also other nations, as de facto penal colonies.; 3/21/13, 5:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Finish the fence then let's talk.; 3/21/13, 5:03 PM
n.n said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/21/13, 5:08 PM
sakredkow said...: Don't fence me in.; 3/21/13, 5:09 PM
JHapp said...: Bill,
63+14+1+1+?=100; 3/21/13, 5:11 PM
n.n said...: Balfegor:

Yes, the convenient land bridge argument is also corrupt. Why should geography favor the opportunity of some people in a "diverse" society. This is an example of disparate impact, which selectively argues for "diversity".

Why do both illegal aliens, and their American patrons, ignore the causes which motivate around one million people annually to leave their homes and displace other people at will?

Then there is the issue of justifying redistributive change and progressive corruption in America, when our citizens are excused from doing the work that they don't want to do.

So, there is displacement which needs to be addressed; progressive corruption; overpopulation (i.e. population density); ignoring causal issues; and, of course, global cooling/warming, catastrophic climate change, climate disruption, and finally climate change, with interspersed insertions of human-caused or anthropogenic.; 3/21/13, 5:13 PM
ampersand said...: NYT story + no reader comments = 100% bullshit.; 3/21/13, 5:14 PM
Balfegor said...: n.n:

I wonder how many Americans favor deporting only "criminal" illegal aliens, and establishing Mexico principally, but also other nations, as de facto penal colonies.

Mexico is rather too close to be an ideal penal colony, and so many of our outlying islands are too popular with tourists to use as penal colonies. Perhaps there's an empty island near Alaska which we could use for that purpose?

But rather than going the penal colony route, why don't we just make them serve 5 years as corvée labour, at the end of which they can get a legal work visa, and begin the process of applying for permanent residency, etc? We have a lot of infrastructure that needs fixing, and having our contractors supervise corvée labour seems like a cheaper way of getting it done than having them pay Davis-Bacon wages. Two birds, one stone.; 3/21/13, 5:16 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Come here illegally -- we will reward you. You get to go to the front of the line! + free stuff from our tax payers. Vote democrat.; 3/21/13, 5:18 PM
Amartel said...: We already did this and Republicans got no credit for it.
Border enforcement first.; 3/21/13, 5:20 PM
hombre said...: Mexican illegal immigrants are about as likely to "work" toward citizenship as they are to support the US Soccer team over Mexico or to vote Republican.

They want the jobs and/or the freebies, not citizenship.

Supportive Dems want new voters who will help annihilate Republicans. Republicans who favor citizenship are pendejos.; 3/21/13, 5:24 PM
Geoff Matthews said...: Illegal immigration is to immigration as shoplifting is to shopping.; 3/21/13, 5:42 PM
Michael K said...: "Who would maintain the golf courses of we stopped illegal immigration "

--Mike Bloomberg; 3/21/13, 5:43 PM
Anonymous said...: We're just extending the Cuban option to all. If you get on dry land or across the border, you're good to go.; 3/21/13, 5:57 PM
chickelit said...: phx said...Don't fence me in.

Frontier spirit.; 3/21/13, 5:57 PM
Unknown said...: When asked a binary question, Americans are substantially more likely to say that
the best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to both secure our
borders and provide an earned path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the
country (68%) than they are to say that the best way to solve this problem is to secure
our borders and arrest and deport all those who are here illegally (29%).

Garbage in, garbage out.

If you know what the results are before you begin, why call it research?; 3/21/13, 6:01 PM
Anonymous said...: All who vote for it must pledge their personal fortunes and that of their children that we'll never ask for a solution like this again. If we end up with a problem of illegals that needs to be solved, they forfeit all their worldly wealth and go to prison.; 3/21/13, 6:03 PM
Anonymous said...: This is insane on so many levels.

We have a law. It is reasonable. Our elected officials and government are sworn to uphold it. They have not.

We did an amnesty before with the promise that we'd never do one again because our elected officials and public employees would finally do their jobs. They have not.

In a few years, we'll be asked to solve the problem again. Again, our elected officials and public employees will say they will start doing their jobs. They will not.

We are fools for doing this.; 3/21/13, 6:07 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Come on. If it was that popular, it would have happened already.; 3/21/13, 6:07 PM
tim maguire said...: An honest discussion about immigration, both legal and illegal, would be nice. But I don't see it happening any time soon. Possibly ever.

The various illegal advocacy groups will never let it happen and the Republicans are too gutless to really try and force one.; 3/21/13, 6:29 PM
Titus said...: I'm ok with it if they are hot.

There should be hot panels.

And it could be a reality show and America plus celebrity judges would vote on them.; 3/21/13, 6:29 PM
Titus said...: People from Brazil should go to the head of the line.; 3/21/13, 6:31 PM
Titus said...: They should also be required to wear armbands so we know which country they are from.

I can actually identify almost all of them by their looks.

Mexicans are the easiest to identify because they are the ugliest-generally speaking.; 3/21/13, 6:34 PM
SGT Ted said...: Manufacturing consent.; 3/21/13, 6:42 PM
RichardS said...: Here's Mark Kirkorian's comment on that poll.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/343624/adventures-manipulative-polling-mark-krikorian

You have to get to p. 53 of the report to find it, and here are the only options offered to respondents:

The best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to secure our borders and arrest and deport all those who are here illegally

The best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to both secure our borders and provide an earned path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.; 3/21/13, 7:02 PM
RichardS said...: Another recent poll, with different language:
http://cis.org/americans-prefer-illegal-immigrants-head-home-results-of-national-survey

"•Of likely voters, 52 percent responded that they preferred to see illegal immigrants in the United States go back to their home countries, compared to just 33 percent who would like them to be given legal status."; 3/21/13, 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...: I have a friend who says that illegal immigrants became necessary for Democrats after the civil rights movement because it became too icky for them to hire blacks as maids, nannies and gardeners.; 3/21/13, 7:08 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: ALP- good point you made and I believe it. Yet the talking heads are always talking about skills gap and oh woe is us because the corporate titans claim 4 million job go unfilled due to it. Yet no one ever asks the talking head for an example or to cite the source for those claims.; 3/21/13, 7:21 PM
SGT Ted said...: Not buying the polls. They are trotted out to conveniently support the current pro-illegal alien amnesty push. The left always manufactures these polls to fake support for whatever their propanganda campaigns are pushing. Kinda like bussing in their rent-a mobs.

That makes my bullshit meter peg out.; 3/21/13, 8:13 PM
DADvocate said...: We need some young Hispanic girls to wait on Hillary when she goes out to eat.; 3/21/13, 9:17 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: New Poll:
Legal immigrants are not happy that those who enter the US illegally are given special treatment.

98%; 3/21/13, 9:25 PM
john marzan said...: RT @kausmickey Wow-that Brookings immigration poll even more bogus/biased than I'd thought. #disgrace2onceproudbrookingsnameetc

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/343624/adventures-manipulative-polling-mark-krikorian; 3/22/13, 1:09 AM
stlcdr said...: AprilApple said...

New Poll:
Legal immigrants are not happy that those who enter the US illegally are given special treatment.

98%

3/21/13, 9:25 PM

That's a big 10-4 from a legal immigrant/now citizen.

It's not hard, only slightly pricey (I had little to no money when I started the process) and seemingly interminably long.

However, I'm on the fence (so to speak): the current laws need enforcing, but a wholesale roundup is impractical.

In addition, there's a large segment of the US legal population unwilling to work, and complains about the rich stealing from them. Extremely frustrating. I, apparently am now one of the rich, and have a hard time giving money away to people to fix my roof, build a fence, landscape the garden - when I've found a decent enough contractor, it's Mexicans actually doing the work, and doing it well.

Polls such as the one posted are there (generated) to simply back up a weak sociopolitical agenda, and take advantage of the undereducated herd mentality.; 3/22/13, 4:37 AM
stlcdr said...: AprilApple said...

New Poll:
Legal immigrants are not happy that those who enter the US illegally are given special treatment.

98%

3/21/13, 9:25 PM

That's a big 10-4 from a legal immigrant/now citizen.

It's not hard, only slightly pricey (I had little to no money when I started the process) and seemingly interminably long.

However, I'm on the fence (so to speak): the current laws need enforcing, but a wholesale roundup is impractical.

In addition, there's a large segment of the US legal population unwilling to work, and complains about the rich stealing from them. Extremely frustrating. I, apparently am now one of the rich, and have a hard time giving money away to people to fix my roof, build a fence, landscape the garden - when I've found a decent enough contractor, it's Mexicans actually doing the work, and doing it well.

Polls such as the one posted are there (generated) to simply back up a weak sociopolitical agenda, and take advantage of the undereducated herd mentality.; 3/22/13, 4:38 AM
Dante said...: I don't believe this poll. 64% of Arizonans think the best way to deal with illegal immigration is to provide a path to citizenship? Did they over-sample illegals?

And what's with all the mixing of legal and illegal immigrants, as if they were the same?

This poll is not believable.; 3/22/13, 5:32 AM
Dante said...: Wikipedia sez, the "Kick them out" attitude of AZ is majority supported in the US:

"Critics of the legislation say it encourages racial profiling, while supporters say the law prohibits the use of race as the sole basis for investigating immigration status.[15] The law was modified by Arizona House Bill 2162 within a week of its signing with the goal of addressing some of these concerns. There have been protests in opposition to the law in over 70 U.S. cities,[16] including boycotts and calls for boycotts of Arizona.[17] Polling has found the law to have majority support in Arizona and nationwide"; 3/22/13, 5:39 AM
Dante said...: More fun in the sun: the person who vetoed AZ's tough illegal immigration laws is Big Sis, the one who demands US citizens to go intrusive and humiliating procedures at airports. She wants border South open, but to punish US citizens flying on planes, despite that they were the ones that thwarted the White House attack!:

Arizona has a history of passing restrictions on illegal immigration, including legislation in 2007 that imposed heavy sanctions on employers hiring illegal immigrants.[35] Measures similar to SB 1070 had been passed by the legislature in 2006 and 2008, only to be vetoed by Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano.[2][36][37] She was subsequently appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration and was replaced by Republican Secretary of State of Arizona Jan Brewer.[2][38] There is a similar history of referenda, such as the Arizona Proposition 200 (2004) that have sought to restrict illegal immigrants' use of social services. The 'attrition through enforcement' doctrine is one that think tanks such as the Center for Immigration Studies have been supporting for several years.[14]; 3/22/13, 5:52 AM
Rusty said...: AprilApple said...
Come here illegally -- we will reward you. You get to go to the front of the line! + free stuff from our tax payers. Vote democrat.

Why should they become lehgal when the benefits of illegality are so rewarding.

I took an impromtu poll of the Hispanic persons at the plant. Only 5% are here legally. 2% are americans of Hispanic descent. Of the illegals polled 80% are on some kind of assistance, or all kinds of assistance, Illinois is very generous this way. All of them have learned that if you claim a large number of dependents you will pay no income tax. Hence large families claimed.
I don't blame them for gaming they system. I blame the system designed to be gamed.; 3/22/13, 6:17 AM
Dante said...: However, I'm on the fence (so to speak): the current laws need enforcing, but a wholesale roundup is impractical.

Here is how to solve that problem.

Announce e-verify, that benefits will only be given to Citizens, and that there is going to be a lottery of 1,000,000 given citizenship. Thereafter, any discovered will be deported, and Illegal will be tattooed on their foreheads.

Anyone can in the US can register!; 3/22/13, 6:27 AM
AllenS said...: For quite some time now, I've seen this country slowly, ever so slowly, commit suicide. This Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States was such a good idea, but it's being rendered absolutely meaningless. The pace of the decline is actually speeding up.

Well, it was fun while is lasted. Anything good never seems to last. There will always to free loaders ruining the whole enterprise.; 3/22/13, 7:01 AM
Tank said...: Biased poll, see here.

No surprise.

Look at the real numbers.; 3/22/13, 7:19 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Good catch, Tank.

Here are the poll questions:

The best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to secure our borders and arrest and deport all those who are here illegally

The best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to both secure our borders and provide an earned path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

"You remember the presidential candidate proposing that we “arrest and deport all those who are here illegally,” don’t you? No? That’s because there wasn’t one. And yet almost every establishment poll asks the question this way, contrasting cattle cars full of weeping babies to the option of “earning” status by working hard, paying back taxes, and rescuing stranded kittens."

Manipulation.; 3/22/13, 7:28 AM
furious_a said...: Illinois is very generous this way.

So is California. Coincidentally both states are going broke.; 3/22/13, 9:18 AM
Amartel said...: Dishonest poll.
Here were the choices:

1. The best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to secure our borders and arrest and deport all those who are here illegally

OR

2. The best way to solve the country’s illegal immigration problem is to both secure our borders and provide an earned path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

False either/or dichotomy.

First question with a poll should always be whether it's an honest poll (look at the questions). Then whether it's a reliable poll (who is sampled). Then whether it's a relevant poll (# sampled). Otherwise, it's just an excuse for a politicized headline.; 3/22/13, 11:21 AM