Survey: State Opposed to Immigration

{snip}

In Ask Alabama’s random telephone survey of 1,018 Alabamians, 58 percent agreed that guest immigrant workers take jobs away from Americans and 55 percent disagreed that immigrants bring needed skills to the state.

Seroka said the poll was inspired by local officials in Alabama who have raised concerns about their growing immigrant populations, and not Bush’s proposal. The survey was conducted by the Center for Governmental Services at Auburn, a nonpartisan center that polls only on policy issues and not politics.

When asked whether the state should provide “assistance” to new guest immigrants, 56 percent disagreed. But when that assistance was specified as English classes, offering information about citizenship or educational assistance for children, the support grew to 65 percent and higher.

{snip}