I was shocked to discover the other day just how far the pendulum has swung in terms of American public opinion on immigration. The new United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll revealed that 62 percent of Republicans -- the group most likely to oppose "illegal" immigration and the presence of unauthorized migrants in the U.S. -- now support allowing "those who have been here for many years and have broken no other laws to stay here legally." Among Democrats, support is at 72 percent, which means a great majority of Americans from both major political parties are now strongly in favor of a legalization program to solve the problem of irregular migration. Among all respondents, support was 67 percent.
Of the 62 percent of Republican supporters, 43 percent want to deport those who have only been in the United States for a short period of time, and 19 percent favor allowing all unauthorized migrants to stay as long as they have broken no other laws and commit to learning English and U.S. history. With such vast bipartisan support, is now the time to finally implement a legalization program for the unauthorized population?
Perhaps the American public has finally realized that deporting 11 million people -- 8 million of whom are exploitable workers with no labor rights -- is simply not rational or feasible. Such action would shrink the economy and tear families apart. And it would unfairly blame and punish the migrants themselves, when others share the blame. Just before 9/11, deportations were less than half as common as they are today (and six years before that, there were almost 90 percent fewer deportations), and employer sanctions were a rarity. For decades, employers lured unauthorized migrants to the U.S. with job offers, while Congress and the president looked the other way when it came to enforcement. Government policies also played a role. Enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 was perhaps the single biggest factor causing the increase in irregular migration.
Thus, the government, employers and migrants should equally share the blame, and any solution must be rational and humane -- but also deter future flows of unauthorized migrants. The necessary solution is clear, and really quite simple, and the language used in the UT/National Journal poll suggests some of what's required.
First, the government can motivate unauthorized residents to come forward by offering legal status to those who can prove they have not committed crimes other than residing in the U.S. without proper authorization, and then require them to pay any unpaid taxes, learn English and take courses in U.S. history. The other key step in the process will be determining how long the unauthorized migrant has resided in the country, and their level of attachment to the labor market. I would argue if you've been working continuously in the country for three years, you've cemented your place in the U.S. labor market and should be allowed to stay. If others disagree that three years is long enough, a compromise should be negotiated.
The UT/National Journal poll does not specify exactly how many years they meant when asking if respondents would support legalization for those who have been here for "many years." A new report estimates the length of time the unauthorized population has resided in the country, which gives us an idea of how many people could qualify for this legalization program based on the number of years ultimately required. Only 15 percent of unauthorized migrants have been here less than five years, while 63 percent have been in the country for 10 years or more, and 35 percent have been here for at least 15 years. This tells us that the vast majority of unauthorized migrants are not recent arrivals, and are therefore likely to be well integrated into the labor market because they are unable to access almost any part of the social safety net (i.e., they have no other choice but to work).
Finally, once this program is in place, deport and strictly enforce immigration laws against those that do not qualify for legalization, and begin implementing a functional employment verification system to deter future flows of unauthorized migrants (this would need to include a PIN-based system to overcome some of the privacy concerns inherent in E-Verify, as discussed here).
Unfortunately, political decisions and public policy often fail to respond quickly to public opinion and the public's desires. But this new polling data revealing broad support for a legalization program -- when considered in conjunction with data showing the stock of unauthorized residents in the country has reduced by about one million since the recession, and a sharp decline in the annual flow of unauthorized migrants - suggests there hasn't been a better time to fix this crucial part of our broken immigration system since 1986.
This article has been cross-posted at the Economic Policy Institute's blog, Working Economics.
Follow Daniel Costa on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EconomicPolicy
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/ny_times_cbs_poll_finds_that_69_believe_illegal_immigrants_should_be_prosecuted
"Illegal immigration" happens when citizens leave their country and move to another without consent or support of either government. That is not what is happening anymore.
Mexico and other Latin nations have openly supported and pursued rights for their citizens illegally in America.
They have filed and involved themselves in lawsuits against states and interfered in US domestic affairs.
They support and largely control Spanish media and Latino social organizations, such as LaRaza, in the US.
Through diplomatic and other means they seek political power in the US using the numbers of their citizens here and civil protests as bludgeons.
Studies (if they can be trusted) show a considerable percentage of illegal foreigners settled here in the last decade yet still don't speak any English and in many places, don't need to.
This is not illegal immigration. This is colonization.
And according to every other poll, 80% of Americans disagree with any amnesty and 93% disagree with allowing colonization by foreign powers.
1008 people is data on a given county, not the country.
No sense in deporting out of the USA, 396,906 illegals ~ annually
When, allowing into the USA 325,000 illegals ~ annually
A wise Wyoming rancher, once told me ~ "if you don't fix the fence first ~ you'll spend all your time & money, round'n up strays."
We don't need E-verify, we need to address the problem per se.
Since robocalling isn't legal they had to have a phone list(s) from somewhere. Now first those people would have to not have signed up for the No Call list. Is there a study that shows that people who haven't signed up for No Call are a fair representation of the whole population? And with cell phones people have to specifically agree to be a list to receive calls. Again do these people accurately represent the whole population?
"The results of the United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll on illegal immigration are skewed because only three options were given in the poll: deport all illegal immigrants, allow illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., or deport some illegal immigrants and let the others stay. The poll doesn’t mention another option available: attrition through enforcement".
I wonder how our financial system going to be in 5 years. Why we have to pay for a foreign war on credit card ? why we own so much to China and the Arabs ? Our banks have broken all laws in the books, we created and exploded a huge housing market, and you really want to blame people who make peanuts ?
That's 1 legal immigrant entry into the USA every 38 seconds of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month of every year for the past consecutive 10 years = 10 million legal immigrants on their "pathway" to Naturalized U.S. Citizenship
11.2 million illegals? Not Needed
The U.S. Economy can not sustain the existing U.S. Workforce, as evidenced ~ 14 million U.S. Citizens are out of work in the USA, trying to feed, clothe, shelter & educate THEIR Children with NO JOBS
Our corp. are exporting American jobs, you should be mad at Apple, who is about to open a new high tech factory....in South America....it's capitalism.
I am 74, have voted in every election - city, county, state and federal - since I was of voting age. Never had an unlisted phone number, lived at the same address in CA for many years, then at the same address in UT for 18 years, now in AZ for over 3 years. Usually lean left in politics, but have been a registerd Independent for many years - and I definitely oppose any type of amnesty for illegals.
NEVER have I been polled on ANY political person, party, agenda, policies, laws!!!!!
"There are lies, damned lies, and polls" - to paraphrase.
"These fake polls are the best money can buy and they are designed to confuse you, the candidates, and Congress.
The Open Borders Lobby and Amnesty supporters are using these two bogus polls to encourage illegal aliens to stay in America at a time when many are fleeing. They are also using these polls to lobby Congress and candidates but we have a plan to put a stop to this fraud.
Yet, we cannot underestimate the power of these bogus lies.
Thus, ALIPAC is beginning steps today to destroy these lies in full public view.
The fake polls contradict a poll run by Fox using the very same polling firm Opinion Dynamics run on May 18-19, 2010 that found in question #33 that 61% of Americans believe we need to enforce our existing immigration laws vs. 34% that believe we need to overhaul our laws."
http://www.alipac.us/article-print-5618.html
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2008/spring/the-nativists?page=0,8
http://www.cis.org/immigration-splc
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2009/08/mission-creeps-splc-draws-criticism.html
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/splcworldview.html
In his 1997 self-published book The Watchdogs Wilcox criticized and "industry" of such groups "whose identity and livelihood depend upon growth and expansion of their particular kind of victimization." He holds such groups use "links and ties" to imply connections between individuals and groups. And they collect millions of dollars by greatly exaggerating the size and danger of such groups, becoming "a massive extortion racket." He names groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laird_Wilcox
What encourage people to go or to stay is very old and have not much to do with polls. It is money.
You are not reaching the depth of the situation, we need urgently a huge guest program and recognize the people we have here. No deportations for no criminals, it's a very short sighted and expansive idea. We need a reform of the whole system of immigration.