Category | Arts & Living

Citizens express support for less restrictive immigration policy

Published on February 13, 2007 by The Sentinel

    The population of undocumented residents in the U.S. is growing at a rapid pace. Even conservative estimates of the number of undocumented residents near 12 million persons. Georgia is a particularly attractive location for these new residents, as our state has a lower- than-average unemployment rate and a relatively low cost of living. Both the Congress and the Georgia General Assembly have attempted to forge policies to deal with the challenges that this new population brings to our nation and state. In most cases, politicians say that the majority of citizens favor restrictive policies on undocumented residents. That stance is supported by polls which indicate overall concern about immigration, both legal and illegal. However, these polls do not indicate that the majority of Americans are interested in highly restrictive policies.

     In the months following Sept. 11, polls indicated that support for immigration dropped. In more recent polls, the positive trend for immigration has continued. In a 2006 Pew Foundation poll, concern was expressed for issues such as taking jobs from citizens, stress on local services, crime and terrorism. However on all of these dimensions, nearly half of the population found no cause for concern. In the Pew Foundation poll, over 40 percent of all respondents felt that recent immigrants “strengthen the country through hard work and talent.”

    An NBC poll found that 61 percent of Americans wanted to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S., if they passed a security check. In a Pew Foundation poll 76 percent favored an immigrant ID card to be used for employment by those who are currently undocumented. In national polls, support for guest worker programs is always higher than support for deportation or criminalization policies. Poll after poll at the national level indicates that Americans are evenly divided on almost all of the major issues related to recent increases in immigration.

    The below table indicates responses to a number of polls that dealt specifically with illegal immigration and job displacement. In each case, most respondents felt that displacement was not an issue and that illegal immigrants were taking jobs that others would not take.    

    But what about public opinion within Georgia? A poll conducted by the University of Georgia found that state residents thought that recent increases in population were more beneficial than harmful. When asked specifically about immigrants from other nations [rather than from within the U.S.], responses were more positive than negative. Major concerns with the rapid growth in population dealt with sprawl and concern for the environment, rather than terrorism or losses to the economy. A KSU poll conducted during the summer of 2006, asked respondents about support for specific policies that are currently under consideration at the national and state level. Georgians show support for both enforcement of regulation and for provision of services to undocumented residents.

    As the figures presented here indicates, Georgians favor a system of identification through employers and law enforcement. They also favor allowing children of undocumented residents to attend public schools and to receive local services. These polls show that most Americans and most Georgians are more open to immigration than is suggested by recent legislative initiatives in the General Assembly. However our representatives are following overall concern on the issue.