Last week in the 11/1/2007 edition of the weekly e-newsletter, The Republican Heard, we asked about immigration in the wake of Sen. Hillary Clinton's answer/non-answer on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.
As always, this survey was conducted via e-mail on 11/1/2007 to Republicans in Connecticut that have signed up for The Republican Heard, the weekly e-newsletter of the Connecticut Republican Party. The results of the survey are not scientific nor are they statistically valid. They should not be considered the platform of the Republican Party in Connecticut nor the official views of the Party. They are for informational purposes only.
What is your opinion of New Haven's program of giving Identification cards to illegal immigrants?
Support 23 9.7%
Oppose 195 82.3%
Undecided/Don't Know 11 4.6%
Do you believe that the children of illegal immigrants should pay in-state tuition to attend state universities in Connecticut?
Yes 77 32.5%
No 139 58.6%
Undecided/Don't Know 10 4.2%
In New York, Governor Elliott Spitzer has proposed giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. How do you feel about this proposal?
Support 12 5.1%
Oppose 210 88.6%
Undecided/Don't Know 6 2.5%
What do you believe that we need to do to fix our current problems with illegal immigration? Check all that apply.
Build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. 122 51.5%
Place National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border 141 59.5%
Deport all illegal immigrants in the U.S. 123 51.9%
Provide a "path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants, which would include fines and payment of taxes 111 46.8%
Provide amnesty for all illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. 5 2.1%
Other 33 13.9%
Don't Know/Undecided 4 1.7%
How important is illegal immigration to you?
It's my #1 issue 48 20.3%
It is important but not my top priority 171 72.2%
I am neutral 4 1.7%
It is not important to me 3 1.3%
I could not care less 0 0.0%
Other 2 0.8%
08 November 2007
The Republican Heard Survey: Immigration
Posted by Unknown at 13:44
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2 comments:
I'm interested in your poll. Historically, in the US (to my understanding), the right wing has favoured more lax immigration in order to keep cost of production down. The left wig have opposed immigration as it supposedly keeps their core supporters poorer.
Strangely, the opposite is the case in the UK where the left wing favour laxer immigration.
Why this anomaly exists I don't know but your poll appears to show that peoples views are changing.
Interesting.
I'd say the picture is somewhat more convoluted than what you describe.
Some groups within the American right do favor less stringent immigration laws to supply workers, generally form labor-intensive jobs that citizens will not take at the wages they wish to pay. These workers produce goods and services at a cheaper rate, which is good for consumers worldwide, including those in the United States.
On the other hand, there is and has always been a market in the Party for a tougher immigration policy that restricts the flow of immigrants, who sometimes place considerable stress on public systems without paying the taxes that support those systems, which is a very valid concern in some places.
There is a tension between the two positions. Our poll clearly shows this split. 51.9% of those polled say we should deport all the illegal immigrants while 46.8% say we should set up a pathway to citizenship.
Democrats generally criticize the first group as profiteers from wage-slavery and the second group as simple racists. Democrats who support more lax immigration policies are humanitarians while those who support tougher policies are defenders of the wage-earner. Go figure.
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