Pew Poll on immigration reform, birthright citizenship and Arizona's law.

[pampango]

Illegal Immigration

Most Americans support stricter enforcement of immigration laws and tighter border security. But among Tea Party Republicans support for tougher immigration measures is virtually universal – 98% favor stronger enforcement of immigration laws.

Nearly as many (94%) favor Arizona’s tough immigration law, which is tied up in court. The law requires police to verify the legal status of someone they have already stopped or arrested if they suspect that the person is in the country illegally. Nearly six-in-ten Tea Party Republicans (58%) favor changing the constitution to bar citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrants. Majorities of Democrats (67%) and non-Tea Party Republicans (55%) oppose changing the constitution for this purpose.

The public generally supports a two-fold approach to illegal immigration: a 42% plurality says the priority should be both better border security and stronger enforcement of immigration laws and creating a way for illegal immigrants who are already here to become citizens if they meet certain requirements. Nearly half of Democrats (48%) and non-Tea Party Republicans (46%) say that better border security and finding a way for people here illegally should be given equal priority.

But a substantial majority of Tea Party Republicans (67%) say better border security and stronger enforcement of existing laws should be the primary priority; just 23% favor a dual focus, with equal priority given to tougher security measures and a path to citizenship.

http://people-press.org/2011/10/07/strong-on-defense-and-israel-tough-on-china/

Nice to see that 63% overall (74% of Democrats and just 30% of teabaggers) support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants either as the main priority of immigration reform or as an equal priority with stronger enforcement measures. That indicates support for the comprehensive immigration reform proposals that have come from the Progressive Caucus.

Teabaggers love them some Arizona immigration law by 94% to 3%. (They probably support the laws in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and other republican states but those wasn't polled.) Democrats oppose it 54% to 43%.

Support for stronger enforcement goes across the board. Teabaggers love it (98% to 2%) but even Democrats support it by 71% to 27%.

[EFerrari]

1. The white hood Republican base.

[LonePirate]

2. Large numbers of Dems apparently agree with them so there must be plenty hoods for both parties.

[EFerrari]

6. When you drill down, no, Democrats do not support racial profiling. n/t

[RZM]

8. How can you argue that in light of this poll?

43 percent of Democrats said they support the Arizona law, which you admit yourself includes racial profiling.

[pampango]

9. To me it would be more accurate to say that MOST Democrats do not support racial profiling.

Obviously there are some that do. Thankfully they are a minority in the party by 54% to 43% but they are still there. It is certainly a popular practice with teabaggers though by a 94 to 3 margin.

[RZM]

10. You could phrase it that way

But you could also just as easily take this poll data and say 'A solid majority of Americans approve of racial profiling.' When you add it all up, all groups combined support the Arizona law by a larger margin than Dems oppose it.

[EFerrari]

12. Yep. The number would likely go lower if "do you support racial profiling

to identify illegal aliens" was said explicitly.

[pinboy3niner]

14. The poll should have included graphics...

[EFerrari]

16. Seriously.

:)

[RZM]

3. But what about the numbers for Democrats in the same poll?

If this is evidence of white hoods, what do you say to the 71 percent of Democrats who support stronger enforcement or the 43 percent who support the Arizona law?

[pampango]

4. At least 74% of Democrats also support a path to citizenship in addition to stronger enforcement.

Most Democrats want a comprehensive and balanced solution which I don't think is consistent with a the approach the "white hoods" support. 67% of them just want enforcement, enforcement, enforcement and no talk of any path to citizenship (only 30% of them support that).

[EFerrari]

5. I wouldn't conflate "stronger enforcement" with the AZ law.

First, no one is going to say they're against law enforcement. And the AZ law utilizes racial profiling, existing Federal law does not.

[RZM]

7. Look at the data. Some Dems and some non-Tea Party Repubs said they oppose enforcement

27 percent and 15 percent, respectively. So some people do oppose enforcement, apparently.

And still, 43 percent of Democrats support the Arizona law, racial profiling and all. That's pretty high.

[EFerrari]

11. 43% but did the poll question say "AZ law" or "racial profiling"?

Some people don't know what is in the AZ law.

[RZM]

13. Probably not, but this is what we have to go on

There's no way to know how familiar each respondent was with the law. So lacking that information, we can only assume that the data more or less reflects opinions of the law as is.

From what I remember, support was even higher in Arizona, where presumably people would be a bit more likely to be familiar with what was in it.

[EFerrari]

15. I think that's right. Support was higher in AZ.

But AZ may not be representative of the country as a whole. It's a swing state but iirc, pretty white and older.

[RZM]

17. Being on the border was probably a big factor as well

No place can be said to be perfectly representative of the country as a whole. Some are more than others though. Vermont and North Dakota wouldn't be, for example.

I remember reading once that Ohio cities were often chosen to test-market products because some places here do have demos that roughly mirror those of the country as a whole. I do remember as a kid we would sometimes get new flavors of soda before the rest of the country ;)

[EFerrari]

18. The funny thing is, border towns are among the safest in the country

unless you don't like to look at brown people. :)

I'm up here in the foothills of East San Jose (huge Latino community) and get a good belly laugh out of it nearly every week. Last week, it was a deputy Sheriff complaining to me that people speak Spanish here even though it's California. This week, it was my neighbor complaining that immigrants who come here for a better life bring their culture with them.

lol