Only 1-in-3 Americans supports Obama's immigration lawsuit against Arizona; fully half oppose it

With less than four months before his first midterm election, President Obama's lawsuit against Arizona's new illegal immigrant law is running against a strong tide of American support for the measure.

Acting through the Justice Department, the Democrat administration seeks an injunction to stop the state law, S.B. 1070, from taking effect on July 29 and allowing Arizona officials to enforce federal laws against illegal immigrants, nearly a half-million of whom are estimated to be in Arizona. The federal suit actually duplicates an earlier one filed by the ACLU and supported by the Mexican government.

A new Gallup Poll out this morning reveals that half of all Americans oppose Obama's lawsuit, while only 33% support it. This mirrors other....

... polls showing strong national support for the state measure.

A separate poll published Thursday found a larger 56% of Americans oppose the Obama lawsuit, while 61% like the idea of their state passing a bill similar to Arizona's. In that Rasmussen Reports survey only 28% of voters agree with the administration's suit.

The state's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, and Legislature grew frustrated at federal inability to secure the state's border with Mexico against illegal immigrants, criminals and drug traffickers.

Obama is sending some more National Guardsmen to the border but argues that securing the boundary can only come as part of a much larger immigration reform package, which his Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress have declined to bring forth.

Feelings run high over the issue; Gallup finds a majority on both sides feel strongly.

The debate is also profoundly permeated by politics as elections near that will set the course for the final two years of Obama's term..

The president's support among Hispanics impatient for the oft-promised reforms has fallen significantly this year and a lawsuit lasting well past the Nov. 2 voting might appear to be action on his part, although at the same time such action alienates those concerned more with illegal immigrants.

For her part, Brewer's signing of the bill and vocal support have vaulted her far ahead of the pack in the GOP gubernatorial primary next month. And polls of a hypothetical match-up against the likely November opponent also show her running strongly.

True to his 2008 campaign promise to bring Americans together, Obama has accomplished that with his opposition to Arizona's legislation. It's just that he's united Americans into two starkly different camps: Republicans oppose his lawsuit by almost 80% while a significantly smaller majority of Democrats (56%) like the lawsuit idea. 

Gallup reports that independents lean toward the GOP position, another reflection of the independents' drift away from the Democrat in the last year, reported here in The Ticket on July 7.

Related items:

Obama speaks on broken immigration system but offers no details

An impatient Gov. Brewer leans on Obama

Mexico joins a lawsuit against Arizona and the Gov is unhappy

82% of Americans oppose a boycott of Arizona over its new illegal immigrant law

In her own words: Gov. Jan Brewer responds to Obama's border troop decision

Arizona Gov. Brewer's approval surges past 50% after signing illegal immigrant law

Joe Biden update: Mexican Pres. Calderon's speech prompts deep thoughtzzz

Obama folks having real t-r-o-u-b-l-e reading Arizona's new i-l-l-e-g-a-l immigrant l-a-w

Los presidentes Calderon y Obama talk about the sensitive border issue

Support broadens among Americans for Arizona's illegal immigrant law

See for yourself: Complete text of the Arizona law and executive order

Arizona Gov. Brewer explains signing nation's toughest immigration bill

So what does the new Arizona law actually do?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: Matt York / Associated Press; Pete Souza / White House (Brewer and Obama in happier times).

Comments

[P Henry]

So I suppose the Federal Government will now be suing San Francisco, New Haven and all the other sanctuary cities that are usurping Federal jurisdiction on immigration? Oh yeah, that's right. They only go after people that enforce the law, not break it.

[steve]

This socialist malarky BO is doing? What is the argument here? every single alien "BROKE THE LAW!" Our Government, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 30 million criminals and is the largest invasion of any Nation, in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution.

This refusal to abide by our Constitution should be classified as Treason as grounds for IMPEACHMENT & trials for Treason!

Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison, Educate the invaders children,free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws, massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens WAKE UP PEOPLE! They walked,rode,swam and drove over here, they can do the same going home! taking thier anchors with them! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btj6IeOFkis&feature=player_embedded
http://immigrationcounters.com/
http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp
http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/01/025329.php
http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frosty576.htm

[Halibut]

Polls as a whole are inaccurate, and these types of polls are even more so. How many of those polled were actually illegal aliens? Oh, that’s right, we can’t ask that question. For all we know a large percentage of those questioned could be illegal and would of course oppose the law. If the poll is limited to US citizens and legal alien residents, I’m sure the opposition would be higher.

[win]

Obama is wrong to have the DOJ file the lawsuit.

Arizona and other states have a very good reason for passing laws enforcing immigration and the current federal immigration law allows them to.

[Roy W Wescott Jr]

Why would the Mexican Government have any input or rights concerning American Governmental Policies such as Arizona. They want us to allow the illegal immigrants??

[Danny]

I gonna have to be like Rev. Wright and say, "No NO NO!" support ain't gonna do it. There are laws in this country. And how people feel ain't gonna keep this law alive. we have a better chance finding the loch ness monster than finding life for SB 1070. Just take a look at this link, it's all explained for you to see and understand how the government is gonna frame their case, check it out

http://apleblog.com/2010/07/09/doj-files-suit-isn%E2%80%99t-arizona%E2%80%99s-sb-1070-illegal/

[Facts]

How much are those who oppose the Federal government suing Arizona know, ??
NOT MUCH AT ALL ITS EMOTIONAL AND COMES FROM IGNORANCE.

JUST LIKE THEY BELIEVE FAIR< AND NUMBERS USA.

This week, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) came out with a report entitled, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers, which discusses the costs of unauthorized immigration to the United States. As usual, FAIR has put out a highly misleading fiscal snapshot of the costs allegedly imposed on U.S. taxpayers by unauthorized immigrants and completely discounts the economic contributions of unauthorized workers and consumers. Moreover, FAIR inflates their costs in a variety of ways and conveniently ignores any contributions that would offset these costs.

While the publication is long and deals with a wide range of issues that warrant more dissection by credible economic experts, the trade publication Education Week has already begun the deconstruction with an item that sheds light on their misleading claims about providing English language services in schools.

According to the Immigration Policy Center (IPC), FAIR's report suffers from three fatal flaws:

* The report notes that the single biggest "expense" it attributes to unauthorized immigrants is the education of their children, yet most of these children are native-born, U.S. citizens who will grow up to be tax-paying adults. It is disingenuous to count the cost of investing in the education of these children, so that they will earn higher incomes and pay more in taxes when they are adults, as if it were nothing more than a cost incurred by their parents.
* The report fails to account for the purchasing power of unauthorized consumers, which supports U.S. businesses and U.S. jobs.
* The report ignores the value added to the U.S. economy by unauthorized workers, particularly in the service sector.

In contrast to FAIR's report, the Perryman Group estimated that if all unauthorized workers and consumers were somehow removed from the U.S. economy, the United States would lose $552 billion in total economic activity ("expenditures"), $245 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 2.8 million jobs." This doesn't count the billions it would cost to actually implement a mass deportation program.

Another argument FAIR makes, which makes it hard to glean what their solution would be is the high cost of deporting undocumented workers which FAIR blames on the immigrants themselves. It's a somewhat circular argument to say that the cost of undocumented immigrants includes the cost of failing law enforcement efforts. So, in essence, FAIR is saying that the deport-them-all approach costs too much money and doesn't work. Yet their "solution" is to spend even more money on enforcement.

FAIR's data is meant only to reinforce their vision of "attrition through enforcement." It is not rooted in an effort to move the immigration debate forward. Therefore, passing comprehensive immigration reform - which would yield a cumulative $1.5 trillion in added U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years - is the only sound economic decision the United States can make.

SOURCE Immigration Policy Center

[MR. RIGHT]

Lets not kid ourselves any longer...

O'Buffoon has absolutely NO INTEREST in securing the borders and/or enforcing the immigration laws...

O'Buffoon & the Socialist Democrats are ONLY interested in remaining in office, retaining control & the Majority in the House & Senate.

To do that, the Socialist Democrats need another group living in America who will be DEPENDENT on the government for their livelihood...
the Dems got the Blacks, the "poor" & the retirees dependent on government assistance and now they're focusing on the Browns...
and I don't been the Cleveland Browns either...

Whether it be government hand-outs and/or government jobs...

As long as there is a large group of people living in America who are dependent on the government & can VOTE; then the Leftist politicians can potentially retain power & control...which is fast becoming CONTROL OVER US ALL!

And with HALF of Americans dependent on the government for their livelihood NOW, it is getting more difficult with every election to get those Americans off government dependency and to extinguish the Socialist control in the WH, House & Senate!

"Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P.J.O'Rourke

So get out there & VOTE on 11/2 so we can begin to take out country back!

[Don Marshall]

Looks like we will get Amnesty, whether we want it or not! These numbers seem a lot like the health care scam numbers and it was forced through. This pres SUCKS! Hello barack, did you know there was an oil DISASTER, How about a border invasion?

[John]

This is not a popularity contest. It is about the about knowing common facts about our government. The States legislate for things within their state. The federal government legislates for interstate and international boundary issues. Immigration is the latter.

[Steve-O Cali]

Who does Obama listen to? Jan Brewer hould be pissed!
I am very frustrated and do not understand why the President would choose to NOT enforce the law, and in fact hinder Arizona from enforcing laws that are on the books.
We have to put emotion aside and understand that these people have broken the law to get into our country.
Just because they have a baby here or are trying to get a job (that takes away from American jobs) should not be reason enough to just let them stay. As it is, 1.2 Billion is sent from the US to Central and South America EACH month! What a drain on our economy.
Illegal is illegal. Strengthen our borders, fine businesses that hire them, and allow states to enforce the laws, too.
Let's get serious!

[Kay]

Since when has Obama cared about what the majority wants?

[misanthropicus]

It looks like Obama is really good at painting himself and his poor Democrats in a corner - and the Arzona action shows this again. I'm glad that the Dems march towards the precipice - bye-bye! And now coming at the Arizona issue, it is interesting to note not only absurdity of Obama's action, but also the superficiality of Obama's legal response - Rhode Island has for long observed the same verification requirements vis-a-vis apparently illegal aliens (and with very good results), but that situation hasn't yet been found by Obama as abusive and requiring federal correction. What emerges here is clear: Arizona isn't targeted by Obama because the immigration law - Arizona immigration law is an opportunity for attempting to dissuade Arizona to pass the Burgess bill, which require any presidential candidate to provide HARD EVIDENCE of his/ her constitutional fitness in the presidential run - this is the real cause of this absurd brouhaha. As far as the Rhode Island issue, below is a link to Andy McCarthy's piece in NRO where he clearly spells out the details -
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjkzMmNjMjIxMjIxYWNmODA0OGI3ZTU5MmIyZGUyMjg=

[carol_cairo]

Not sure about the accuracy of the polling? BUT, don't you see the significance of 1-in-3? That's 33 1/3 % !!!!! What was the support for Lincoln when things led up to his position about slavery and hence the Civil War?

Significance ... is ... well ... SIGNIFICANT. Whether it is 10%, 1%, 15% if just 1 out of 100 thinks, for example, that gulping down a cup of battery fluid will kill you ... IT JUST MIGHT BE SIGNIFICANT ...

[carol_cairo]

Note to Steve re: again tossing around this "Socialist malarkey". I hereby revoke your IKEA shopping card! Don't you know that in addition to Sweden there are many Scandanavian and European countries that have a strong Socialist presence in their gov'ts? And, that because of the Democratic Socialist influence these gov'ts beat the U.S. on many variables that relate to not only a happier populace but a variety of socio-economic advantages? Try Googling the Democratic Socialists of America. Read their stuff. BTW, one of their head people has put out a two page response on why Obama IS NOT A SOCIALIST. Read it ...

[Paul Priore]

Re: President Barack Obama’s lawsuit against Arizona Immigration law:

How dare President Obama or anyone else for that matter ever challenge the rights of the voting public and the constitutional laws of the United States of America that our founding forefathers wrote to protect the legal American born citizens of the United States of America?
As an American citizen of this country, I am getting extremely sick and tired of these god damn liberals who are constantly trying to re-write our laws to protect the law breakers that come in to this country.
Let us remember that it is a crime to illegally sneak in to this country without permission and to steal jobs and not pay taxes and so on, if an American person ever pulled haft of the crap that these illegal immigrants have pulled, what you think would happen to them?
I am also getting sick and tired of all these liberals constantly preaching back and fourth about America was made by immigrants, maybe there is some truth to that, but that was the older immigrants who came to America to make a better life for themselves and their families without looking for a hand out and ruining everything in their paths like the immigrants of today.
The United States of America can’t be the savior and answer to all the worlds problems, we have to draw a line somewhere and start looking out for our own people, the Americans, before we start taken care of everyone else.
Let me also remind all of you that most of these illegal immigrants that are coming in to the United States of America want nothing more that to hurt our people and destroy this once great country, they really don’t give a crap about our country and have this god damn attitude of entitlements, why doesn’t there own countries take care of them and support them , their own countries are getting tax paying dollars from the United States of America and are stealing the money that is suppose to help their own citizens, but no one wants to say a damn thing about that, I say why?
Most statistics show that most illegal immigrants that are flooding the United States of America are criminals and are not law abiding people, let us remember the USS Cole, February 26th, 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, September 11th, 2001 Plane crashes in to the World Trade Center that killed all those innocent people and destroyed those towers, and crashed in to the pentagon building and Shanks ford Pennsylvanian field and other crimes against Americans and America’s interest, I could go on and on, but I don’t need to because everyone with a haft a brain knows what I am talking about.
These illegal immigrants get everything from the United States Government such as food stamps, welfare, money to take care of those illegal bastard children that they produce, medical care and so on, and anyone who doesn’t believe all that I am saying needs to have their heads examined, because I am privy to a lot of these illegal immigrants on a daily basis and see a lot more than the average person does, so I can say all this stuff with truth and honesty from my own personal observations and experiences with dealing with illegal immigrants, I’m not saying that all illegal immigrants are bad people but a lot of them are and are extremely nasty and disrespectful to all American’s.
I totally agree with Arizona’s Governor and anyone else for that matter to enact these kinds of laws that their voting constituents want, such as outlawing illegal’s from entering their states and getting jobs that are meant for American people, and supporting law breakers, I also get sick and tired of people saying that American’s wouldn’t do those kind of jobs that illegal immigrants do, I say that is a bunch of crap, because I am one of those few people who did those kind of jobs and worse for that matter such as cleaning toilets, sweeping floors, taken care of over paid and over baring athletes and was extremely under paid, but on one gave a crap about whether or not I was able to feed myself and pay my bills and so on, besides it is on the law books in this counties constitution and the laws are the laws, no one is above the laws and no one is above anyone else, just be glad that I am not the President of this country, because I would make it mandatory effectively that any illegal immigrants that are here illegally would be rounded up and arrested and deported immediately regardless and would be banned from re-entering the United States of America until they all paid $50,000.00 in back taxes for a period of ten years before they would be allowed back in to the United States of America.
President Obama and his predecessors took an oath to uphold the United States of America’s Constitution, I don’t ever remember or recall anything in the Constitution that states that they (elected Officials) can change or follow the laws at their own whim, we voted them in to follow the laws that are on the books, not to change them to serve their own purpose or agenda’s.
These are my personal opinions and beliefs.
Thank You.
Sincerely,
Paul Priore
(Flushing, New York.)

[JEFF]

Let's get one thing straight: so-called 'independents' are dissaffected, embarrassed Republicans that are attempting to run away from their own votes for Bush, stupid corporate tax cuts, etc. Anyone not taking a position in either party in our two party system shouldn't have s#%t to say about s%$t. That being said, kick the illegals out, but now! there's no compelling or common sense argument for doing anything else. The pie is only so big.

[borderraven]

US Attorney General, Eric Holder, has admitted to not reading SB1070, before saying the DOJ will sue Arizona.
From US DOJ Website:
Criminal Resource Manual 1918 Arrest of Illegal Aliens by State and Local Officers
URL: http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/crm01918.htm

Rhode Island Troopers have been doing for years what Arizona is proposing to do.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/fortbuckley/2010/07/07/rhode-island-state-police-check-immigration-status-why-isnt-the-doj-suing-them/

Also local cops already have federal permission to enforce federal immigration laws, under 287(g) without an MOU.
See US Codes http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/
8USC1357 <<< Search this one
8USC1357(a) <<<< Read these
8USC1357(g)
8USC1357(g)(8)
8USC1357(g)(9)
8USC1357(g)(10)(a) <<<
8USC1357(g)(10)(b) <<<

[borderraven]

Amendment XI - Judicial Limits. Ratified 2/7/1795.

"The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State."

[borderraven]

The Voorhis Act (18 U.S.C. § 2386) requires registration with the Attorney General of certain organizations, the purpose of which is to overthrow the government or a political subdivision thereof by the use of force and violence. The rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are set forth in 28 C.F.R. § 10.1 et seq.

[steve rodriguez]

Obama what part of protecting out border don't you understand?