Released: April 11, 2006

Zogby Poll: Pols Probably Won't Fix U.S. Immigration Problems

Americans skeptical Washington will find right solution

Americans are mostly doubtful that President Bush and Congress will find a fair and effective solution to the burgeoning immigration problem, and a majority of them oppose amnesty for those who have entered the U.S. illegally, a new Zogby Interactive survey finds. The details of the poll are included in the April edition of Zogby’s Real America newsletter, available here.

The issue has boiled to the surface across America as Congress considers legislation, protestors take to the streets in cities across the nation, and as political campaigns get underway for the 2006 midterm congressional elections.

An overwhelming majority - 79% - said they are skeptical the President and Congress will find a good solution to the immigration problem. Democrats and political independents were somewhat more skeptical than Republicans, the survey shows. While 88% of Democrats and 85% of independents said it is unlikely a solution will be found, 66% of Republicans agreed.

Doubt about the prospect of Washington’s success on the issue spreads across all geographic and racial demographics, the survey shows.

Asked specifically whether President Bush or Congress is trusted more to properly handle the immigration issue, 50% said they don’t think it is likely that either branch of government will get the job done right. Another 22% said they trust Congress more, while 17% said they think Mr. Bush is more likely to come up with the right answer. There was some difference depending on the age of the respondents – those over age 65 said they trusted President Bush more, while those under age 30 said they put more trust in Congress. Still, pluralities in all age groups doubt that either branch of government will handle the issue correctly.

Likely voters nationwide said their biggest concern about illegal immigration is the burden it places on social services provided by governments at all levels. While 27% said the increased burden was their top concern, another 22% said they hold a companion worry – that illegal immigrants will trigger an increase in the cost of government services.

One in four – 26% - said they were concerned that the U.S. southern border may be the entry point for terrorists intent on attacking America, the Zogby Interactive survey showed.

Americans oppose amnesty

A majority of Americans said they oppose amnesty for undocumented workers from other nations who are already residing in this nation, the survey shows. While 52% said there should be no amnesty, 32% said they would favor amnesty for such people.

Congress has estimated that there are 11 million illegal immigrants now living in America. Amnesty was offered to people in this category during the Reagan administration.

As Congress now works on immigration reform legislation in Washington, the survey shows there is a significant partisan divide on this question. Among Democrats nationwide, 51% favor amnesty, while 29% oppose it and another 20% said they are unsure. Among Republicans, just 13% said they favor amnesty, while 76% said they oppose such an offer.

A majority of political independents are opposed to offering amnesty – 50% said they are against it, while 33% said they are in favor of it.

This question also divides the nation based on age of the respondents. While younger respondents favor amnesty in greater numbers, older likely voters do not.

Do you support or oppose amnesty for undocumented workers who are already in the U.S.?

 

Age 18-24

Age 25-34

Age 35-54

Age 55-69

Age 70+

Support

46%

41%

33%

25%

19%

Oppose

37%

39%

51%

61%

68%

Protesters Not Winning Support

The Zogby survey shows that recent protests across the nation against immigration proposals in Congress – particularly to make it a federal felony to be an undocumented worker in America – have not persuaded a majority of U.S. likely voters across the country. More said they are having a negative reaction to the protests than are having a positive reaction.

Asked whether the protests have made likely voters more or less sympathetic towards undocumented workers, 32% said they are now more sympathetic to their plight, while 61% said they are less likely to be sympathetic as a result of the protests. Younger respondents to the poll were more likely to be sympathetic than were older participants in the survey. And while 56% of Democrats said the protests made them feel more sympathy for undocumented workers, just 6% of Republicans felt that way.

A wide majority of those participating in the survey (65%) said they would be willing to pay significantly higher prices for some goods and services should that be the result of tighter control of the southern U.S. border and a resulting lower number of undocumented workers.

Some have warned that if undocumented workers are deported, the cost of goods in many U.S. industries would increase markedly. The poll shows that 30% of respondents would be willing to pay up to 10% more if undocumented workers were deported, while another 36% said they would willingly swallow a price increase of between 10% and 25% for certain goods. Just 6% said they would be willing to pay more than 50% more for goods from industries largely dependent on the labor of undocumented workers.

The Zogby Interactive survey included 7,967 respondents nationwide between March 31 and April 3, 2006, and carries a margin of error of +/- 1.1 percentage points.

(4/11/2006)