Poll in Mexico Shows Enforcement Prevents 39 Million From Coming Here -- But Mexicans Say Amnesty Would Increase Illegal Aliens
The new Zogby poll in Mexico found that our enforcement efforts in the U.S. -- weak as they may be -- are intimidating about 39 million Mexicans from moving to the U.S.
Imagine what would happen if we had mandatory verification to keep illegal aliens out of all U.S. jobs.
Instead, though, we have nearly all of our national religious leaders and the leaders of the U.S. Congress promising an amnesty for illegal aliens already here. They say the way to end illegal immigration is to give U.S. citizenship to the Illegal aliens already here -- and then start enforcing immigration laws.
But the majority of Mexicans, the poll found, believe a U.S. amnesty would definitely increase illegal immigration in the future. I think the Mexican people know something that our spiritual and political leaders don't.
BORDERS MATTER, AND ENFORCEMENT MAKES THEM MATTER MORE
I constantly hear so-called experts and leaders claim that unless we radically increase the number of green cards we give out, no kind or amount of immigration enforcement can really slow down illegal immigration.
But just think about the Zogby results finding that 39 million people would move to the United States if they could.
This suggests that the vast majority of the Mexican people are not willing to become criminals and break our laws to move here. Yes, they would like to move here. But they have decided either that it wouldn't be right or that our current enforcement and anti-illegal-immigration culture would make it too uncomfortable to live illegally in this country.
Enforcement and tough public talk about opposition to illegal aliens is clearly having a major deterrent effect on the 39 million Mexicans desiring to take U.S. jobs and live here.
Unfortunately, the poll also found that all the promotion of amnesty by nearly every elite group in this country is enticing a lot of Mexicans to consider breaking the law and moving here anyway.
- 56% of Mexicans said giving legal status to the illegal aliens already in the U.S. would make it more likely that the people they know would go to the U.S. illegally.
- Of Mexicans with a member of their immediate household in the United States, 65 percent said a legalization program would make people they know more likely to go to America illegally.
Right now, the mixed signals from the U.S. seem to be keeping most Mexicans back home and obeying our immigration laws while at the same time enticing them to contemplate a little more about whether to cross the line into criminal activity to become an illegal alien.
ROY BECK is Founder & CEO of NumbersUSA
P.S. When NumbersUSA sent a tweet about the poll showing an amnesty would increase illegal immigration, a person identifying as an immigration attorney responded:: "Unlikely because amnesty provisions usually have residency length requirements to qualify."
The attorney missed the point. The great increase in illegal immigration would not be because people thought they could get in on this amnesty but because the amnesty would indicate that if you get into the country and live here long enough -- and especially if you have some kids here -- there will hordes of elites who will eventually insist on giving you an amnesty, too.