Here’s a diierent kind of poll:
"In fact, the nation is far less divided on immigration, legal or illegal, than the current debate suggests.
In the last six months, virtually every major media outlet has surveyed public attitudes on the issue, and the results have been remarkably consistent. Americans continue to take pride in the United States’ heritage as a nation of immigrants. Many are uneasy about the current influx of foreigners. But an overwhelming majority – between two-thirds and three-quarters in every major poll – would like to see Congress address the problem with a combination of tougher enforcement and earned citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living and working here. A strange-bedfellow coalition – of business associations, labor unions, and the Catholic Church, among others – has endorsed this position. In Washington, the consensus behind it is even more striking, with supporters spanning the spectrum from conservative President George W. Bush to left-leaning Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), from mavericks like Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) to party regulars like Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and all but a handful of congressional Democrats. But even this broad agreement may not produce a solution this fall.
Congress’ failure to act is largely a product of political circumstances. The high-stakes midterm elections in November put an unusual premium on the opinions of the 20-25 percent of voters who depart from the emerging national consensus. Mostly male, white, and lacking college degrees, these naysayers believe immigrants are bad for the economy; they want to build a wall along the southern border and adamantly oppose allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens. Only about half are Republicans, and they account for no more than a quarter of the GOP. But many Republicans in Congress, particularly in the House, are convinced that this group is more intense – more concerned, more motivated, more likely to vote on the basis of this single issue – than anyone else likely to go to the polls. So the naysayers have become the tail wagging the dog of the immigration debate, and they may succeed in blocking a solution this year."
foreignaffairs.org/20061101faessay85606/tamar-jacoby/immigration-nation.html
I think this article does a fine job of describing for the lay person the issues and the challenges ahead. It explains why Enforcement Only policies won’t work and why this segment of the population finds itself on the extreme and unworkable end of a solution to the problem.
