Immigration Debate Heats Up Ahead Of Florida Primary But Drops In Priority For Republicans

WASHINGTON -- GOP presidential candidates may want to talk about it, but fewer Republicans rank unauthorized immigration as a top issue, according to a poll released Monday by Pew Research Center.

The poll found that "illegal immigration" dropped from the second-most important issue for Republicans to the twelfth-most important this year. Nearly 50 percent of Republicans still rate the issue as a top priority, but that figure has fallen by about 20 points since 2007, Pew found.

The declining interest in immigration doesn't mean that Republican politicians are dropping the issue. During the race for the GOP nomination, candidates have been jockeying to appear the toughest on immigration.

All of the candidates call for more border security and deportations, claiming that President Barack Obama is soft on unauthorized immigration. In fact, the Obama administration surpassed any prior deportation records, sending 396,906 people back to their native countries in fiscal year 2011. U.S. Border Patrol is also changing tactics to impose more serious consequences on illegal border crossers, the Associated Press reported last week.

Still, candidates seem to be concerned with being branded as supportive of "amnesty," or allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the country without conditions. (Obama also opposes amnesty under that definition, and no bill proposed by a Democrat has called for it.) Former President Ronald Reagan, a revered Republican, was the last to allow amnesty for undocumented immigrants in the 1980s.

During this election cycle, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has called for policies that would drive all undocumented immigrants out of the country, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has praised a contested South Carolina immigration law and both Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) have said they would increase deportations substantially.

Among Americans at large, Pew Research found that "illegal immigration" has also dropped as a priority. Although it is not a steady decline, the share of Americans who consider immigration a top issue has decreased from 55 percent to 39 percent since 2007.

Comments

[Kenz300]

05:20 PM on 02/03/2012

With the high unemployment levels in the US it is time for all employers to use the E-verify program when hiring new workers.

[l78lancer]

06:48 PM on 01/25/2012

Regardless of what side you take, whether you're for amnesty or for strict immigration control, most citizens of the US see immigration as a problem that needs to be fixed. The poll makes complete sense because the people who are most concerned with immigration are not the working people on the left, or the working people on the right, but the politicians on both sides of the isle who have been totally ineffective in dealing whit the real problem - JOBS.

Even though we may not agree on the fix, citizen, left and right, know that the issue is a political smoke screen.

[RobietheCat]

02:44 PM on 01/24/2012

According to who? Pew?

How many people did they poll, what what the methodology?
What were the questions, how were they asked?

Pew is nothing more than propaganda to try and set the agenda.

No thanks.

[Robin Kedroske]

11:07 AM on 01/24/2012

What a Left-wing hack job...Since Liberals Don't want Any Attention paid to ILLEGAL immigration they get the Far-Left, Biased Pew center to put out Another "poll" supporting Their Views...How Pathetic & how utterly Desperate...!!--Of course if You don't have a job, then that Will be a Main priority...Duh, But that does NOT mean that American's are NOT Sick & Tired of Supporting the 12-20 MILLION Illegal, Lawbreaking, Mooching, ID Stealing, Service Jacking THIEVES...the game is Over & the Free Ride has Stopped....IF You are ILLEGAL, LEAVE!!!

[voyager48]

09:47 AM on 01/24/2012

Spin it any way you want immigration enforcement is still right up there!

Based on recent polls Gallup says that sentiment is at an all time high with over 60% of the population want the border enforced more rigorously, is firmly against illegal immigration and feels that the government is actively encouraging illegal immigration.

DOJ has long held that illegals have around a 75% chance of successfully entering the USA,. Based on apprehension figures, around 1.8 million illegals entered the US last year.

The problem is very far from being under control and enforcement is unavoidable as it is the only way to clean up this mess.

[woodsjs]

04:19 AM on 01/24/2012

Media bias at its best! The false 'declining' of public interest in immigration policy is very conveniently timed to the beginning of campaigning in a state where immigration would quite possibly be the touchiest subject... Nice try media statistics.

[wigglwagons]

03:23 AM on 01/24/2012

They need to do a poll of unemployed Democrats. We already know how most everyone else is going to vote.

[Kurfco]

11:25 PM on 01/23/2012

I wouldn't make much of polls like this. If you ask people what they would miss most, their left arm, their right arm,their right leg, their left leg, their eyseight, or their hearing, they may well answer "their hearing", but I wouldn't conclude from that answer that they don't value "their hearing" very highly,

What's happening today is there are many, many issues that Americans of all stripes consider high, even top, priorities. Fixing the ILLEGAL immigration mess is still right up there.

[voyager48]

09:47 AM on 01/24/2012

well put

[4 real world peace]

10:41 PM on 01/23/2012

There are 50 million Latinos in the U.S. 11 million undocumented PEOPLE (not all Latinos). The Republicans don't stand a chance of winning the Latino vote, they're against immigrant rights, women's rights, gay rights, ethnic studies, unions, farm workers, social security, public schools, universal healthcare, basically everything the Latino community supports. They never have had the Latino support and will never have the Latino support and without Latino support the Republican party is dead. Sorry Gringos.

[magyart]

01:26 AM on 01/24/2012

The Republicans don't stand a chance of getting the Latino vote, even if they support CIR and the Dream Act. If you don't believe me, ask Sen. McCain. He supported the Latino agenda and they over whelmingly voted for his opponet.

[ambrecel]

09:46 PM on 01/23/2012

I believe the polls on this one, most time I am skeptical.

[RobietheCat]

02:47 PM on 01/24/2012

Then why the variance between this poll Gallup on the same exact issue?

[ambrecel]

05:56 PM on 01/24/2012

I don't know, I can guess different numbers of people were asked making the equation for applied statistics different.

[luckyfreeman69]

09:11 PM on 01/23/2012

There are sometimes mitigating factors that have to be weighed into each seperate case before there is a final determination...I rest my case...

[Erick Whinbush]

09:06 PM on 01/23/2012

Looks like if a republican is elected those poor Floridians in the pan handle will continue to have to put up with those immigrants from Alabama a little longer.

[Edy Kel]

08:53 PM on 01/23/2012

...just like job growth.

[Abbey Normal]

08:45 PM on 01/23/2012

Truly confused, fickle, flavor-of-the-week types they are.

[luckyfreeman69]

09:12 PM on 01/23/2012

abbey wanna

[hjo4]

08:24 PM on 01/23/2012

Strange but this article doesn't mention that the majority of Americans No matter what political party are against any form of relief for illegal aliens. The article also doesn't have the racial breakdown of Americans who support and who are against relief for illegal aliens, both Black & White American are overwhelmingly against any relief for illegals. The only people who are for relief is the MSM, the Catholic Church (to increase their coffers), illegal alien sympathizers and pandering elected officials.No matter who wins the 2012 race, there will be no immigration reform the American people will not allow it, especially in this economic climate.

[Erick Whinbush]

09:06 PM on 01/23/2012

Do you have any links that prove that the majority of Americans are opposed to any amnesty?

[wbneilsen]

09:55 PM on 01/23/2012

Study by Steven Camarota, director of research for immigration studies: 55% oppose amnesty-34% support.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/back1201.html

Federation for Immigration Reform: 66% of voters polled want a secure border over amnesty. 61% believe a child born here whose parents are illegal shouldn't be a citizen.
http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator/facts/public_opinion/

Rasmussen:52% of those polled want an Arizona like immigration law in their state; 60% place border control over legalization; 61% favor immigration checks at traffic stops.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/

Pollsters weren't completely unsympathetic to foreigners if you read the details.However, they are not as liberal on the issue as many in the media suggest.

[hjo4]

10:53 PM on 01/23/2012

I am not the reporter, ask the author she has them

[4 real world peace]

10:43 PM on 01/23/2012

Actually a lot of Americans with good hearts support the undocumented community and that's really the majority of Americans, at least where I live.

[hjo4]

11:42 PM on 01/23/2012

Having a "good heart" has nothing to do with illegal aliens and illegal immigration. How can we imprison American citizens for stealing food ,while giving amnesty or any type of relief to those who chose to violate our immigration laws for whatever their reason. That's how it works like it or not.

[nasknit]

01:08 AM on 01/24/2012

I'm going to guess you live in CA or NY. CA is going broke, in large part d/t to the huge amounts of Illegal Aliens they are subsidizing!