Poll Says Voters Endorse Police Immigration Status Checks For Their States
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision on Arizona's SB 1070 law and the Obama Administration’s executive “DREAM” amnesty, two-thirds of likely voters say they want their own states to enact police immigration status check laws. The Washington Times/JZ Analytics poll also found that 49 percent think illegal aliens should be "given a chance to get their affairs in order then sent home.”
Last month the Supreme Court upheld, for now, a provisions of SB 1070 that allows police to check the immigration status of suspected illegal aliens after a lawful stop. The Department of Homeland Security subsequently issued a directive stating that illegal aliens under the age of 31 would not be deported if they met certain criteria.
In the poll, voters were given arguments for and against police immigration status checks, then asked if they wanted their own states to adopt similar requirements. 50 percent of voters said they "strongly" agreed with enacting that law, and another 17 percent "somewhat" agreed. Only 29 percent said they strongly or somewhat disagreed, and the rest had no opinion. Republicans and independents were highly supportive, and Hispanics supported the policy by a 55 percent to 41 percent margin.
The voter survey also asked how the U.S. should deal with all illegal aliens. It found that 49 percent think illegal aliens should be "given a chance to get their affairs in order then sent home, where they can apply to return through regular immigration channels." That is an increase of 4 percentage points since a similar poll was conducted in May.
Support for a legalization, including eventual citizenship, dropped 4 points to 29 percent. Support for a third option — a legalization without citizenship — remained at 9 percent. Republicans and independents strongly supported making illegal aliens return home, while Democrats generally favored citizenship.
The Times/JZ Analytics Poll, which surveyed 800 likely voters between July 6 and 8, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
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