While Congress prepares to unveil a new immigration-reformplan, a new poll suggests that, unlike President Barack Obama, not everyone is on board with a blueprint that would turn a blind eye to border security.
A Rasmussen poll released Thursday reports 59 percent of likely U.S. voters support an immigration plan that would grant immigrants who are here illegally the ability to stay in the United States with legal status if the border is secured well enough to prevent further illegal immigration. Twenty-five percent said they would oppose such a plan.
But, while Obama's stance is that border control is not necessary to give citizenship to those who are already in the country illegally, only 26 percent support an immigration plan with no border-control provisions. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said theyd oppose an immigration-reform plan that didnt crack down on border control.
On one of the plan's other hot issues, only 18 percent are willing to give citizenship rights to immigrants here illegally who obey the countrys laws. Sixty-five percent feel that they should be allowed legal status, but not citizenship.
But Obama contends that border security has already been strengthened. He cited an increased number of border control agents, the expansion of border fences, and the implementation of new surveillance tactics as reasons why the countrys borders are safe enough as it is.
In February, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told the Senate Judiciary Committee that our borders have, in fact, never been stronger.
While border security could have ended up a partisan issue, Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN on Sunday that the bipartisan Gang of Eight -- which includes Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio -- had reached agreement on a new immigration-reform overhaul.Securing the countrys border is, according to Graham, a high priority for immigration reform.
The South Carolina Republican said one of the provisions proposed by the Gang of Eight would include preventing a third wave of undocumented immigrants from coming into the United States. Stopping that third wave means securing your border and controlling who gets a job in America, said Graham. I think weve accomplished that in this bill. And I believe it will pass.
Sources say that the bill could be introduced in the Senate as early as next week. The House version would be introduced April 14.
The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted on April 1-2. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.
Allison Nielsen writes special to Sunshine State News.
