Progressives for Immigration Reform

Progressives for Immigration Reform
National Poll
Conducted By Pulse Opinion Research
April 14, 2009

1* Overall, do you think the level of immigration into the United States at the present time is much too high, somewhat too high, about right, somewhat too low or much too low?

46% Much too high
21% Somewhat too high
24% About right
6% Somewhat too low
2% Much too low
1% Not sure

2* What do you estimate is the total number of immigrants (legal and illegal) that settle in the United States each year?

10% Approximately 500 thousand
21% Approximately 800 thousand
35% Approximately 1.5 million
13% Approximately 3 million
20% Not sure

3* Immigration is currently responsible for about 60% of the United States’ population growth. Generally speaking, do you believe this level of immigration is too high, too low, or just about right?

60% Too high
7% Too low
27% Just about right
5% Not sure

4* Given the link between population growth and immigration in the United States, would you say that current levels of immigration help the environment, hurt the environment, or have no effect on the environment?

11% Help the environment
58% Hurt the environment
26% Have no effect on the environment
5% Not sure

5* Without a change in immigration policy, the nation’s population will grow by more than a third in the next 50 years. If the population where you live were to increase by this amount, would it make the quality of life a lot worse, somewhat worse, no different, somewhat better, or a lot better?

43% A lot worse
24% Somewhat worse
18% No different
10% Somewhat better
4% A lot better
1% Not sure

6* The United States adds nearly 1 million legal foreign-born persons to the workforce each year. Do you believe that increasing the number of foreign workers helps or hurts the availability of jobs for American workers, or does it have no impact on the availability of jobs for American workers?

15% Helps availability of jobs for American workers
63% Hurts availability of jobs for American workers
19% It has no impact on the availability of jobs for American workers
3% Not sure

7* Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a pathway to citizenship or amnesty for illegal immigrants currently in the workforce?

28% Strongly support
25% Somewhat support
18% Somewhat oppose
27% Strongly oppose
2% Not sure

8* Generally speaking, do you believe that foreign workers take jobs away from American workers?

54% Yes
37% No
8% Not sure

9* Given the current rate of unemployment in the United States, do you believe that it is a good thing to add more foreign workers to the United States?

20% Yes
63% No
17% Not sure

10* Would you be much more likely, somewhat more likely, somewhat less likely or much less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who favors allowing the 12 million illegal immigrants currently here to stay in the United States and eventually get citizenship?

24% Much more likely
23% Somewhat more likely
17% Somewhat less likely
26% Much less likely
9% Not sure

11* Now I’m going to read you a short list. Please tell me if immigration to the United States positively impacts, negatively impacts or has no impact on each of the following aspects of life.

First…business

55% Immigration positively impacts business
31% Negatively
6% It has no impact
8% Not sure

12* Next…labor

44% Immigration positively impacts, labor
43% Negatively
5% It has no impact
8% Not sure

13* Okay…the environment

19% Immigration positively impacts the environment
47% Negatively
25% It has no impact
9% Not sure

14* Next…education

31% Immigration positively impacts education
49% Negatively
14% It has no impact
5% Not sure

15* Okay…crime

24% Immigration positively impacts crime
45% Negatively
23% It has no impact
8% Not sure

16* Okay…health care

20% Immigration positively impacts healthcare
54% Negatively
19% It has no impact
7% Not sure

17* And finally…quality of life

34% Immigration positively impacts the quality of life
42% Negatively
15% It has no impact
9% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence