Immigration

61% Favor Immigration Checks On Traffic Stops

Most voters continue to support immigration status checks on routine traffic stops and favor strict sanctions on employers who give illegal immigrants jobs. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of Likely Voters agree that if a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally.  Thirty percent (30%) disagree.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on January 17-18, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

34% Oppose Welcoming Immigration Policy

A third of American voters oppose an immigration policy that keeps out only criminals, national security threats and those who come to live off America’s welfare system because they don’t think it’s restrictive enough.

Still, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters favor a welcoming immigration policy with only those restrictions.

60% Think Federal Government Encourages Illegal Immigration

Voters continue to believe strongly that the federal government’s actions are encouraging illegal immigration even as the Obama administration announces bias charges against a popular Arizona sheriff for his anti-immigration efforts. Also this week, the U.S. Supreme Court sped up its review of the Justice Department’s legal challenge of state laws aimed at stopping illegal immigration.

52% Support Arizona-Like Immigration Law in Their State

The U.S. Supreme Court Monday announced it will decide whether the Arizona immigration law passed last year violates the Constitution, and a new survey finds that half of voters still support a similar immigration law for their own state.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 52% favor passage of an immigration law similar to Arizona’s in their state. Thirty-four percent (34%) oppose such a law in their state, while 15% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 12-13, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points ith a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

New High: 65% Oppose Automatic Citizenship for Children Born Here to Illegal Immigrants

Voters oppose more strongly than ever granting automatic U.S. citizenship to a child born to an illegal immigrant in this country.

Now, nearly two-out-of-three Likely U.S. Voters (65%) say if a woman enters the United States as an illegal alien and gives birth to a child here, that child should not automatically become a U.S. citizen.

60% Put Border Control Ahead of Legalizing Undocumented Workers

Most voters continue to believe immigration policy should focus first on border control.  At the same time, they favor a welcoming immigration policy that excludes criminals and other threats to society. 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely Voters believe it is more important to gain control of the border than to  legalize the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States.

63% Favor Immigration Checks On All Routine Traffic Stops

Most voters still strongly agree with automatic immigration status checks when a police officer pulls someone over for a routine traffic stop.  They also continue to favor tough sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent or sell to them.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters say if a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally.  Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree.

63% Put Border Control Ahead Of Legalizing Illegal Immigrants

Most voters continue to believe as they have for years that immigration legislation should focus on border control.  They also remain supportive of a welcoming immigration policy with a few key restrictions. 

65% Put Border Control Ahead of Legalizing Illegal Immigrants

With the Legal Workforce Act, a bill forcing companies to check the immigration status of their employees, working its way through Congress, voters nationwide continue to believe overwhelmingly that when it comes to immigration legislation the focus should be on the border. 

59% Say U.S. Government Encourages Illegal Immigration

Most voters nationwide continue to believe government policies encourage illegal immigration and support using the military along the U.S.-Mexican border. But they remain divided as to whether the federal government or individual states should enforce immigration laws.

49% Say Illegal Immigrants Perform Jobs U.S. Citizens Won’t Do

While voters have consistently supported tough penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants, nearly half believe that illegal immigrants do the jobs Americans don’t want to do.

Most Voters Oppose Public Schooling, Tuition Breaks, Driver’s Licenses For Illegal Immigrants

The Obama administration announced last week that it was slowing the deportation process for "low priority" immigration cases to focus on illegal immigrants with criminal records.

Voters Put Border Control Ahead of Amnesty by 2-1 Margin

Even as the Obama administration moves to slow the pace of deportation for illegal immigrants, voters continue to believe strongly that gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States.

49% Concerned Efforts To Identify Illegal Immigrants Will Violate Civil Rights

Voters are showing less concern that anti-immigration efforts will also end up violating civil rights and most continue to oppose automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrants.

75% Support Tough Penalties Against Employers Who Hire Illegal Immigrants

More voters continue to favor tougher laws against employers who hire illegal immigrants than against landlords who rent to them. But support for strong sanctions against both employers and landlords are at record highs.

66% Put Border Control Ahead of Legalizing Status of Those Here Illegally

Two-out-of-three (66%) Likely U.S. Voters think gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of illegal immigrants already living in America when it comes to immigration reform policy.

Most Favor Immigration Police Checks, Tough Sanctions on Those Who Hire or Rent to Illegal Immigrants

Alabama this month became the latest state to authorize routine police checks of immigration status and to require employers to verify that those they hire are in this country legally. Voters continue to strongly support tougher enforcement in both areas.

64% Say Border Control Top Immigration Priority

Most voters continue to support a welcoming immigration policy but also believe that border control should be the nation’s top immigration priority.

65% Say Those Who Hire Illegal Immigrants Bigger Problem Than Immigrants Themselves

When it comes to illegal immigration, voters see the job as more to blame than the job applicant.

61% Favor A State Law That Would Shut Down Repeat Offenders Who Hire Illegal Immigrants

The U.S. Supreme Court late last week upheld the legality of an Arizona law cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and most voters support having a similar law in their own state.