Poll: 79% Support Guest Worker Program
A new Time poll shows 79% support a guest worker program while only 47% support the Republican House bill. A substantial majority, 75%, say they should not be allowed to have government services, such as health care or food stamps, and 69% say they shouldn’t be able to get a driver’s license. A slight majority, 51%, think public schools ought to be off-limits.
[no school for you]
Although Americans want to give illegal immigrants the chance to work in the U.S. temporarily and even earn citizenship—78% say illegal immigrants who learn English, have a job and pay taxes ought to have a chance at it—they also want better enforcement both at the border and inside the country. A large majority, 71%, favor major penalties for people who hire illegal immigrants; 62% want the U.S. to take “whatever steps are necessary” to secure the border with Mexico, including posting military forces; and 56% favor a 2,000-mile-long fence. That two-pronged approach to illegal immigration is the same one favored by President Bush, who wants both a guest worker program and tighter border security.
While the President’s position on illegal immigration is clearly resonating with many voters, it hasn’t helped his sagging approval ratings. They sank to 37% in the poll, a new low.
Stumble it!