Illegal immigration -- truly a partisan concern

The new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of voters in three states crucial to picking the next president underscores what has been evident by listening to the candidates -- the importance of the illegal immigration issue depends very much on one's partisan inclinations.

In a nutshell, the survey found that few Democratic-leaning voters in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina rate the matter -- which consumed much of official Washington earlier this year -- as the top priority for White House contenders. By contrast, a healthy slice of Republican-leaning voters in those states give it that ranking.

The findings help explain why illegal immigration rarely gets a mention among the Democratic presidential candidates, either in their speeches or during their debates. Conversely, the results make clear why it's a hot topic in the GOP race. Indeed, it recently sparked what CNN termed "the first real clash" between Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, both of whom have mixed records on the issue.

The new poll found that in Iowa, 9% of those identifying themselves as Democratic voters chose illegal immigration as the numero uno subject the candidates should address. Among their GOP counterparts, the figure was 30% (putting it basically tied with the war in Iraq and protecting the U.S. from terrorists).

The gap was comparable in New Hampshire (5% of the Democratic electorate tabbed illegal immigration as the big issue, 25% of the Republicans did) and South Carolina (7% versus 23%).

A similar divergence was found on healthcare, but with the roles reversed -- especially in Iowa and New Hampshire.  Many more Democratic voters than Republican ranked that as the main priority for candidates.

Also in those two states, Democratic voters -- by large margins -- singled out the war in Iraq, rather than guarding against terrorist attacks on the homefront, as the issue they wanted the candidates to focus on. But the GOP voters in Iowa and New Hampshire gave each subject roughly equal weight in their rankings.

For all the numbers on how those polled rate the issues, see question 37 here.

The survey was conducted Thursday through Monday. In most cases, the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 5 percentage points; among Iowa Democrats, it was 4 percentage points.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[John Smith]

No matter dem or repub, the verdicts the SAME! - bye bye ILLEGALS!

[musuem of zero tolerance]

Illegals have no rights; and, they are not being treated like second-class citizens; that is an insult to second-class citizens. At best, they are thieves;
at worst??????? Two wrongs give them no rights!

[rob]

Interesting study! Pretty consistent with what I hear among people.

Frankly, because of the economic benefits, the US has always been negligent in enforcing the law, to such an extent that those who are here, who have been working, MUST be allowed to stay. We can't accuse them of being lawbreakers if we never bothered to enforce the law.

I think the only people who have real authority to be angry on this issue are American Indians.

It's totally true that the Mexican government and elites have a lot to answer for, after all they have basically let their country lapse into anarchy and anyone with the means and brains gets out of there. But all the illegal immigrants I encounter work their butts off, they create strong family units, their kids work hard in school, they regenerate decayed communities, so they're a net asset. And I'm ashamed of the terrible nativist rhetoric on this issue, all of it spewed by the descendants of immigrants.

[Jeronimo Banuelos]

I am almost sure that the reason why the poll came up with these numbers is because most Republicans see immigration important, not because they feel immigrants should be given an opportunity to become legal, but because they want to GET RID OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Let us not confuse their intent. In general, Republicans do not care about the human suffering immigrants endure in this country. They are egotist, but also racists because they only hate, and are against, immigrants from Mexico and Latin American Countries.

[buz algood]

The PEOPLE from both parties have spoken loud and clear and have expressed a STONG desire to have our immigration laws enforced and OUR borders protected. Remember what happened this June when Bush tried his end around amnesty plan? Thats right it got STUFFED. 4th and 1, NO GAIN! Turn the ball over a GET OFF THE FIELD!!! I would be more interested in a pole ranking the importance of issues relative to illegal immigration in the border states where the burden is felt the most. New Hampshire? Who cares.

[Sergio Espinosa]

It is this issue that is killing the GOP in the eyes of Latinos throughout the United States. This seems to be Prop 187 Redux, on a national level. Remember how 187 killed the Republican Party among Latinos in California.

I do not understand why the GOP keeps coming back to this issue. They need to follow the advice of Arnold Schwarzenegger and look to other issues - issues like health care reform and environmental protection. This isn't Democrats 'lite' either. This would be a strategic move to the center a la the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the DLC moving away from traditional liberalism 15 years ago.

Ultimately the national Republican Party is going to go the way of the California Republican Party unless it makes some strategic decisions.

Even Bush sees this.

[Archer City, TX (winds from The Last Picture Show)]

If (and I say "if") these illegals are so valuable; send them home; and let them be "valuable" to their countries. There is no honor among thieves.

[Okie from Pawhuska]

Dear Rob, "spewed by descendants of immigrants"
if my paternal Osage grandmother and my maternal Kiowa grandfather
were alive, they would show you how the cow ate the cabbage.
I would like for you to take your overgeneralization to Native America;
and sell those bumper stickers there.

[Kathryn]

Is it an issue of Democrats not caring about illegal immigration, or their party not making an issue out of it? People aren't idiots, they know what issues their candidates are pushing, and for the Democrats, it's not immigration.

I do think the Democrats have to walk a fine line, not making too big of an issue of illegal immigration, because the party's pro-amnesty position isn't going to endear them to the more populist and conservative voters in their party. It's easier for them to whip up support by talking against the war and against the current administration, than go out on a limb for illegals. If you look at polls done during the debate over the amnesty bill last summer, especially the polls done by Rasmussen, Americans are evenly split for and against illegal immigration. Democrats have been successful running against open border Republicans and winning, especially in the House. I think it's very telling that the Democrats, in control of both the House and the Senate, and with a very pro-amnesty president, didn't stick their necks out to pass the amnesty bill. If they're supporters are so pro-legalization and there was no risk of political fall out, why not go for amnesty? It was certainly within their reach.

I'm certain that there's a huge fear amongst all the pro-globalization and open border politicians, both Democrat and Republican, that immigration will become an issue like abortion, where voters decide their vote on that issue alone, cutting across party lines.

[keith]

Well, let's break it down.

1. As far as a net asset, very debateable, many studies agree, many say are a net drain and a big one. I'll call that a tie.

2. "Illegal" is the key word here. Yes most of us are descended from immigrants and legal ones at that. Laws exist for a purpose and our gov't does a disservice to everyone in our country, legally or not, by selective enforcement.

3. The people have spoken, yes, loud and clear. The reason the issue was tabled was that politicians realized they were pushing something hugely unpopular with the amnesty bill.

4. Do we need them? Yes I think so, but if so, let them come in here in an orderly fashion to work and earn, don't force them to risk their lives in unlawful passages. The extended family doesn't need to come, and a humane process would allow for no unreasonable separations from their families. Expatriate workers exist all over the world and get along just fine, while sending the money home to the family.

5. Mass unlawful immigration doesn't work and is not justified, this situation could be fixed, political parties should lay down their arms and do the right thing, it shouldn't be about votes, but about people's lives at risk.

[Jack]

Look at Iraq and you see the consequence of massive cultural upheaval when an educated middle class is replaced by fanatically hostile high fertility uneducated masses of another religion,culture, or race. Mexico is Iran and we are Iraq. No country can absorb another's underclass on a wildly overpopulated Earth. We'll have bloody civil war here with 300 million, not little Iraq's 40. There are a billion Chinese and a billion Indians who want to live here and are being shipped here by centuries old crime organizations, corporate pirates, and traitor government. The Times considers it uncharitable not to give all of them "rights" we don't have in Mexico, China, and India!

[OneifbyLand]

The Democrats will not touch their third rail Illegal Immigration because
that is the constituancy they are appealing to.But if the 20+million illegal
aliens can't vote what are they counting on. Amnesty if a Democrat wins?
When will illegal alien advocates learn that the law and the facts are
against them and accusations of racism are untrue and pointless as well
as insulting to Latinos who did it the legal way.

[John Sovietsky]

Let's make it clear for all the ignorant comments here. "IN OTHER WORDS, WHO CARES ABOUT IRAQ...WHEN YOU MIGHT GET RAPED BY A MEXICAN BUSBOY?. Once again the Republican Party is using the immigration issue as a tactic VICIOUS TACTICS that ALL of you are falling for. Don't let the Bush administration fool you any longer. In the face of the awesome political catastrophe that has befallen the Republican Party in the form of George W. Bush...the response of its new leaders has not been to re-examine their perverted values. The Republican Party WANTS you to concentrate on the Immigration Issue...so you can forget IRAQ. Blame the darkies ...is all mean spirited...and you are all falling for it. ANYONE WITH AN IQ ABOVE 10 can see that our economy is doing just fine. Wake up people! If you call yourself a religious person....stop being mean spirited to innocent people.

[Anne Leisering]

Bye Bye Republicans! First they screwed up sending thousands of AMERICANS to their deaths. Then they refused to apologize. Now they are going afte innocent working people. IT IS TIME TO SEND A CLEAR AND LOUD MESSAGE. BYE BYE REPUBLICANS....HAVE A NICE LIFE!

[Joshua]

The GOP candidates running fo office should realize that
they can win on the illegal immigration issue alone. Once elected,
they can begin impeachment proceedings for those justices
who continue to violate federal statutory law.

[thiefthisthiefthat]

I'm, sick of the intolerance. If they are "thieves" do you call ICE every time you see a leaf blower on a sidewalk? Because not would you stay passive if you saw a thief right in front of you, would you. I bet in real life you don't show how much you hate them, because they probably serve your food at your favorite restaurant. But behind their backs, you don't hesitate to savagely condemn them. How about choosing side. If you hate "thieves" so much, Do something about it! Call ICE whenever you spot an illegal worker (or "thief"). Otherwise you're a hypocrite. If you see a thief, you ought to report them if it is really that bad.

[Okie from Pawhuska]

Illegals are America's cancer.

[ivan]

A comprehensive immigration reform is a question of when, not if. Rove told the Republicans that demonizing Latinos will be a huge mistake. Noone listened. Republicans are fighting a losing battle: it is called demographics. They have said it loud and clear: if you are not a white-anglo-saxon-protestant, we don't like you! However, one in three LEGAL Americans is a minority today, and the numbers are getting higher by the day. You do the math!

[Incredulous]

To MR. SOVIETSKY: Isn't it clear to you that lawless societies produce many ill-effects? One of them is a rise in "mean-spiritedness" simply because the common good is being ignored in favor of lawlessness and corruption. Look at Mexico. That's where America is headed. That's why Mexicans are leaving en mass for America to take advantage of our generosity. In their country "taking advantage" is the order of the day because any notion of the common good is nonexistent. ILLEGAL is ILLEGAL. Deport the ILLEGALS, welcome the LEGALS or America will become a balkanized sink of corruption, of poverty, and disease. You know, like Mexico is now. I mean, haven't we enough problems?

[Dr Coles]

80% of the American people want an end to anarchy!

Illegal workers are criminals, those who hire them are criminals and those who aid-and-abet them are criminals.

Illegal aliens in America have NO rights. We are required to arrest and prosecute, deport them.

No, matter your political party affiliation, and setting aside your thoughts on issues. We all need to remember what it is to be an American Citizen. We need to make sure our elected representatives obey their Oath of Office and keep their Oath of Allegiance.

[NoMoreBlatherDotCom]

Of course, another explanation is that the Dem debates have been conducted by partisan hacks who realize that asking real questions about immigration matters would end a few campaigns.

For instance, pointing out Bill Richardson's misleading statements (youtube.com/watch?v=mN2o208PFhg) or his appointment as a shill for the OAS (youtube.com/watch?v=i0YRHXoygRM) might hurt his campaign.

Pointing out that Hillary wants to take discounts from U.S. citizens in order to give them to illegal aliens might not help her either: youtube.com/watch?v=Q_l4Lawj14A

That also explains why the MSM refuses to ask such questions at their campaign stops: doing so would not only hurt the Democratic cause, it would interfere with their associates' attempts to make money from illegal activity.

(Ans: FYI, Clinton is notorious for restricting access by the media and doesn't take reporters' questions and rarely crowd questions.)

[Archer City, TX (winds from The Last Picture Show)]

The worst American is an hyphenated-American.

[DinTN]

Illegals are leaving an over crowded third world disease ridden cess pool of their own making called Mexico. Their only goal is to turn our country into the same, only with more room to roam free, until they overpopulate our country as well.
STOP ANCHORBABYING OUR COUNTRY TO DEATH!
ILLEGALS, WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE!
numbersusa.com

RON PAUL IN 08'!!!

[Left by Leftwest]

"Intolerance?" My position is my position. Tolerate it.

[Dan]

If you don't want illegal immigrants here anymore then go to www.numbersusa.com and send letters to Congress to stop the Dream Act which is an Amnesty Bill being talked about NOW in Congress. Second, support and spread the word of Tom Tancredo for President. He has the longest and strongest record of all Presidential Candidates in 2008 who is against illegal immigration. Check out Tom's Blog to see what people are saying. He has won my vote and I hope he wins yours. If you like him then PLEASE spread the word! The media doesn't give him enough time so we need as many people as possible to spread his name and get his message out. God Bless America!

[Armadillo by morning (up from San Antone)]

The illegals have soiled their countries' diapers; now, they are here to soil our country's diaper. Illegals are pollution. Clear the air.

[Brittanicus]

Stop The Dream Act.
We are already occupied by 20 million plus illegal aliens, who taxpayers by unfunded mandate must support. I am also sick of subsidising foreign wars for other countries. I want every citizen to show federal or state picture ID when they go to vote, otherwise the 2008 election will be compromised by illegal aliens voting. I want the laws of the (1986) Simpson/Mazzoli bill strictly enforced, which means prison for anybody who aids and abets foreign nationals, that includes New york Governor Spitzer whom is issuing foreign nationals drivers licenses, who the mix will contain murdering jaharists. I appose any gust worker program, because we have a great workforce of citizen inmates, lolling around in our prison system. I appose the Dream act allowing foreign national children from getting a higher education, when our own children have to pay higher fees.
Yes! I am sick and tired of supporting the poor of world, as my family comes first. I have changed my party affiliation from Democrat, to Independent Populist, because I am sick of the globalist agenda to allow another massive wave of illegal immigrants onto our shores. We must stop the free movement of Mexican 18 wheelers in the name of free trade. We should eredicate the World trade Bank and anything to do with the International power brokers, including NAFTA and CAFTA.

We must fight any open border zealots, crazies who think the SouthWest states belong to radical anachists from Mexico. We must strictly abide by the founding fathers Constitution, our great flag, our language and our culture. We should not be legal hyphenated Americans anymore and if you came to the United States of America as a legal immigrant; your welcome in my eyes. If you are here by crossing our soveriegn border without permission of the American People, you committed a criminal act and should be deported. The media states that the harsh new laws in Arizona, Missouri, Georgia and soon Kansas, their are thousands of illegal aliens fleeing. They are looking for a new place to squat, like California where Los Angeles is a Sanctuary City refuge. That will soon change because Washington politicans are proposing new laws that would sever Federal funding to cities with this ominious enigma. America is getting smaller and less friendly to illegal foreigners as State police and other law enforcement have gotten the word to stop, inspect and arrest people with no legal status. Imperial Bush head of the American elite globalists signed into law with funding, to build that barrier between our lands and the corrupt country of Mexico. When constructed it may not imede every illegal lawbreaker, but it will stop the flow of drugs to our children, the activities of Middle Easterners who want to bomb our cities.
We are a country of laws that citizens have made, and we are expected to uphold them. If Americans committ a crime the consequences are fines and imprisonment. If a illegal employer hires illegal immigrants they should not be above the law as citizens see it. They should be arrested, tried and their business assets confiscated to fund (ICE) Immigration & Customs Enforcement. All these issues are upto the lawful inhabitants of this great nation. We have the power to remove our public servants (politicians) tar and feather them or drive them out of power. They took and oath to this homeland to protect and serve all Americans. Not pander to the millions of foreign nationals, who have radical groups like La Raza and Mecha, who call for the overthrow of our government. The old adage is very true, "United we Stand, divided we fall!" Right now we are so divided, we are almost on the brink of a civil conflict. When the pen dries up, then the dusty guns will be claimed from their hiding places. Without any shadow of a doubt, we have been invaded. The globalists want your high paying jobs removed, so they can import cheap labor from abroard. You saw the destruction of the March 2007 McCain/Kennedy Comprehensive Immigration bill and that is just the beginning. I belong to the (AARP) American Association of Retired People and we are not very happy. Many of the 38 million Seniors do not trust our sitting government, nor do we trust the Democrats. Both sides over 3 decades have allowed the small trickle of foreign nationals turn into a tempest. We are designing our own fate, because many of us sit on our hands and expect change. Change doesn't happen without action. Slowly but surely grassroots organization are gaining momentum and huge followings. I think the people are awake now and realize that their American dream is in peril. However we mustn't delussion ourselfs, because its going to take years to remove this plague from our society. These last few years we have found ourselves confronting contagious diseases like TB Tuberculosis that had almost cease to exist, but has reappeared in our midst. The major media suppresses the truth and must search the World wide web to discover the facts. However, do not take my word for anything? Discover the ugly truth about illegal immigration for yourself. Right now the dam has many small breaches, but if we do not start plugging the gaps the flood will be unstoppable. If the Dream Act passes we will be in a lot of trouble, because those foreign national students will be able to sponser their whole extended family. Our Social Security, including SSI is already under assault and with legalising these people we will have another round of recipients, who never paid into the system. We should look after our own poor first, single mothers, Seniors, Veterans and permanent residence who entered this country legally. We can no longer subsidise the poor from all over the world.
These unsuppressed sites should be visited for your own judgement, of which includes 'The Dark side Of Illegal Immigration, Immigration Counters, Judicial watch, Alipac, Indexer, Liberty post, Outraged Patriots, American Patrol and of course Numbersusa. Pick each one on Google and click on I'm feeling Lucky.
Remember we are all involved in this nightmare and should do our duty and report suspicious activities to ICE. Its no longer just doing jobs Americans wont do, because they are taking higher paying jobs. Be a whistleblower and report illegal activities in the office, factory or any workplace. keep your eyes and ears open in your community, because your be saving your families jobs.
IT IS TIME TO FIGHT BACK!

[Dan Dorn]

Its not the immigrants, Its the Numbers.

We are overwhelmed in every way, but most importantly, Americans are making less money and paying bigger bills. We are making less money because there is a SURPLUS OF LABOR in the US.

The college educated poor is a new class, because even a college education today, in a specific technical field, hailed as very much in demand,(even great shortages declared) will not get you a job. Not when cheap skilled laborers can be brought in from foreign countries to flood very specific skilled labor markets. What kind of set-up is that?

Labor shortage is code for cheap slave labor shortage.

Illegal immigrants and foreign workers on visas. They are the subclass that deflates wages and steal jobs.
They have to go so Americans will have the jobs and wages they need. Period. It is a basic survival issue.

[Sheri]

I am a Democrat and a member of NumbersUSA. A group that advocates lower immigration numbers, no amnesty for illegal immigrants, an end to the rampant foreign worker visa fraud.

It is not a partisan issue for me, it is a bread and butter issue. Its about expecting the investment in a college education to payoff.
It is about paying the bills and feeding my family.
It is about expecting that, as an American, to be protected from job loss by being replaced with a cheaper foreign visa worker on American soil.

[Miguel]

Did You Know that Cesar Chavez Fought AGAINST Illegal Immigration?

Cesar Chavez fought against illegal immigration because of what he knew it did to our wage base and quality of life.

The truth is that the billionaire class in Mexico uses illegal immigration as a pressure-escape valve to keep the social/political control that they have over Mexico.

Those that posses the fortitude and determination to fight their way into our country are those most feared by the Mexican billionaire class. Were these illegal immigrants to stay home, they would be the most revolutionary Mexican citizens.

The very best way to fight the wage devastation that illegal immigration delivers to America's poor is to back sanctions against US employers of illegal immigrants and NOT attack or jail the illegal immigrants, themselves. With enforced sanctions against US employers, illegal immigrants will return to Mexico and other countries of their own accord, without coercion.

How Illegal Immigration Hurts the Poor

Wages and Poverty

Because immigration increases the supply of U.S. labor, it reduces wages or makes jobs more scarce for natives. Job competition between immigrants and natives is especially fierce at the bottom of the labor market, because so many immigrants are employed in the low-skilled/low-wage segments of the economy. When the average American wage exceeds the average Mexican wage by a factor of ten, even the most menial American job can be a forceful inducement to emigrate.

The large number of immigrants with low levels of education means that immigration policy has dramatically increased the supply of workers with less than a high school degree. Although immigrants comprise about 12 percent of America's workforce, they account for 31 percent of high school dropouts in the workforce. This means that any effects on the wages or job opportunities of natives will disproportionately affect less-skilled workers. Immigrants are 60 percent more likely to be employed in low-skilled occupations than are native-born workers.

As a consequence, poverty in the U.S. is increasingly being driven by immigration policy. Between 1979 and 1997, immigrant households increased their representation in the U.S. population by 68 percent, but over that same period their share of the total poor population increased 123 percent. And the gap between the immigrant and native poverty rates is widening - this gap tripled between 1979 and 1997.

One of the factors that is thought to mitigate the consequences of immigrant poverty is entrepreneurship, with immigrant small businessmen supposedly recharging our nation's creative spirit. Unfortunately, research shows that while immigrants were once significantly more entrepreneurial than natives, that is no longer true.
http://cis.org/topics/wagesandpoverty.html