Americans Feel Illegal Immigration Is ‘Serious’: Poll
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Press Trust of India, Jan 30, 2006
Washington—A large number of Americans consider illegal immigration as a serious problem and feel the authorities are not doing enough to counter the menace, a poll by a leading magazine shows.
About two-thirds of the people whom the Time Magazine approached as part of the poll feel illegal immigration a “very serious” or an “extremely serious” problem.
About the same number say the US administration is not doing enough to seal the borders fro illegal immigration.
The poll comes at a time when law makers across parties want to draw a firmer line on the government initiatives including its Guest Worker programme that calls on undomented workers to register, work for six years and return to their native countries.
President Bush is once again expected to make a pitch for his Guest Worker programme in the State of the Union Address tomorrow.
The Time Magazine poll also shows that nearly 50 per cent favour deporting illegal immigrants back to their home countries, though a close 45 per cent oppose the idea.
A huge 76 per cent, however, polled for illegal immigrants to be given US citizenship if they learn English, have a job and pay taxes.
The poll also has 55 per cent Americans saying “America would be better off throwing out all illegals and toughening border security”, as opposed to 35 per cent who differ.
(Posted on January 30, 2006)