Frank Sharry, the Executive Director of America’s Voice, talks about the midterm elections and why immigration plays a role (duh).

So, just where do Americans stand on the red-hot issue of illegal immigration?  Is it true that they want the government to just “build the dang fence” and be done with it?  Are they so fed up with those who have violated immigration laws that they are clamoring for mass deportation?  Or do they want immigration reform that combines enforcement with legal status for those rooted here?  Do they like the Arizona “papers, please” immigration law and want other states to act, or do they want a comprehensive, federal solution?

A careful reading of opinion surveys over several years shows that the public has a sophisticated understanding of what constitutes a pragmatic immigration solution, and what constitutes political pandering.

In sum, here is where they stand: They are fed-up and frustrated, but only some are angry at immigrants; most are frustrated with the federal government’s failure to advance a solution.  The broken immigration system has become for them a potent symbol of how Washington has failed to step up and solve tough problems.  They want their leaders to take bold action that ends illegal immigration.  And the action they strongly prefer is a national and comprehensive approach that couples enforcement measures at the border and the workplace with a practical and humane path to legal status for those here without papers.

Here is some of the most recent evidence, which tracks polling results over the past few years:

A recent poll from Fox News (yes, that Fox News) found that 68 percent of voters – including majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents – say efforts to secure the border should be combined with reform of federal immigration laws by Congress.  What do voters mean by reform of federal immigration laws?  In the Fox poll, 68 percent “favor allowing illegal immigrants who pay taxes and obey the law to stay in the United States.”
But what about the Republican mantra of “secure the border first?”  As the Fox News analysis puts it:

While more voters think the government should secure the border first (21 percent) than pass new immigration laws (7 percent), most — 68 percent — say both should be done at the same time.  That includes majorities of Democrats (72 percent), independents (67 percent) and Republicans (65 percent).

This survey captures the fact that a solid two-thirds of voters realize that an “either/or” approach has to yield to a “both/and” strategy.  Enhanced security plus a path to earned legal status is the solution.

Clearly, those watching Fox News should pay more attention to their immigration polling than the simplistic, enforcement-only rhetoric coming from many of their guests.

Read the full post over at the America’s Voice blog.

Categories: comprehensive immigration reform, Elections

Tags: election, immigrants, immigration policy, immigration reform, midterm election