Zogby/Associated Television News Poll Reveals: Democrats and Republicans Share Values on Immigration

Zogby/Associated Television News Poll Reveals: Democrats and Republicans Share Values on Immigration

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Democrats and Republicans agree on a surprising number of issues related to criminal aliens in the United States according to a recent Zogby International / Associated Television News online poll conducted October 23-25, 2007 of 4,702 likely voters. The poll's margin of error is +/-1.5 percentage points. Poll results show that America is of one mind when it comes to criminal aliens: If you break the law in your native country or in the U.S. you should not be a U.S. citizen, and those criminal aliens who commit a felony should be locked up here in the U.S.

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Democrats and Republicans share similar support for who they felt should be ineligible for U.S. citizenship: aliens convicted of a felony. 48% of Democrats were more likely to deny citizenship to an alien convicted of a felony while 54% of Republicans who felt citizenship should be denied to criminal aliens whether the crime was a felony or a misdemeanor. Overall, 37% percent of voters felt any alien convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor should be ineligible for citizenship. Thirty-four percent of voters felt only those aliens convicted of a felony should be ineligible.

   Q205. Which of the following groups should be ineligible for U.S.         citizenship?                                         Total      Dem.    Rep.       Ind.                                          %         %       %          %   Aliens guilty of one misdemeanor       3         3       3          3   Aliens with more than three    misdemeanors                          7         5       8         10   Any alien who has plea bargained a    felony to a misdemeanor               6         5       8          6   Only those aliens who have    committed a felony                   34        48      21         32   All criminal aliens regardless of    whether they've committed a    felony or a misdemeanor              37        21      54         35   Other/NS                              13        19       7         14    

The poll also asked voters which scenarios they would support for locking up criminal aliens. An overwhelming majority of voters, including Democrats and Republicans supported a wide variety of scenarios including: commission of a felony, smuggling human cargo or human trafficking, dealing drugs, engaging in gang activities or criminals acts. Only 49% of Democrats agreed that re-entering the U.S. after being deported should warrant being locked up while 85% of Republicans and 67% of Independents were much more supportive of locking up aliens who try to re-enter the country.

   Q207. Which of the following scenarios would you support for locking up         criminal aliens? A foreign criminal who...?                                         Total     Dem.     Rep.      Ind.                                          %        %        %          %   Illegally enters the United    States                               49        33      67         49   Re-enters the U.S. after being    deported                             66        49      85         67   Commits a felony in the U.S.          91        90      92         91   Smuggles in human cargo               85        79      90         86   Deals in human trafficking            90        87      92         92   Deals in drugs or commits a    drug-related crime                   85        79      90         86   Engages in gang operations            87        83      91         88   Commits criminal acts                 83        75      91         85   Crosses into the U.S. to flee    prosecution in their own country     55        45      66         55   Other/none/NS                          7        10       4          8    

Sixty-eight percent of all voters, 85% of Republicans, 71% of Independents and 50% of Democrats all felt that an alien who has been convicted of a felony or multiple misdemeanors should not be granted citizenship after they've served their time.

   Q210. Should an alien who has been convicted of a felony or multiple         misdemeanors here or in their native land be granted U.S.         citizenship once they have served their time?                                          Total      Dem.     Rep.    Ind.                                           %         %        %       %   Yes                                    12         21       5       9   No                                     68         50      85      71   Not Sure                               20         29      11      20    

Another poll question tackled the growing number of illegal aliens in the country and how much the federal government should spend to catch and deport these aliens. A clear majority of Republicans (77%) and Independents (55%) said the U.S. government should spend as much as it takes while 33% of Democrats also agreed to spend what it takes. Thirty-six percent of Democrats were unsure of how much to spend.

   Q211. How much should Congress authorize in funds for the U.S. Marshall         Service to track down and arrest all 632,000 criminal aliens         currently in this country?                                         Total       Dem.    Rep.     Ind.                                          %          %        %       %   Nothing                                8         13        3       7   $100 million                           5          8        2       4   $250 million                           4          7        3       4   $500 million                           4          2        3       6   As Much as it Takes                   55         33       77      55   Not Sure                              25         36       12      25    

Seventy-five percent of all voters felt that it should be a felony for a non-citizen to falsify federal or state documents to obtain a government-issued license. Fifty-seven percent of Democrats, 93% of Republicans and 76% of Independents also felt that falsifying state or federal documents should be considered a trespass felony.

   Q212. Do you agree or disagree that it be a federal trespass felony for         anyone not a citizen to falsify federal or state documents to         acquire a job, seek benefits or to get a government-issued license?                                         Total       Dem.    Rep.     Ind.                                          %          %       %        %   Agree                                 75         57      93       76   Disagree                              14         24       3       16   Not Sure                              11         19       4        9    

Eighty-four percent of Republicans and 61% of Independents agreed that anyone with a green card that knowingly helps an illegal alien should lose their green card. Democrats were more evenly split on this question with 39% agreeing that aliens should lose their green card in this instance while 40% disagreed. Overall, 61% of all voters agreed that aliens should lose their green card for knowingly helping an illegal alien.

   Q213. Do you agree or disagree that anyone with a green card who knowingly         helps an illegal alien should lose their green card and be guilty of         a federal trespass misdemeanor?                                         Total        Dem.    Rep.    Ind.                                          %           %       %       %   Agree                                 61          39      84      61   Disagree                              24          40       6      26   Not Sure                              15          21      10      13    

Americans were of one mind when asked if President Bush should pardon the two border patrol agents sent to prison for shooting a Mexican drug dealer in 2006 while trying to flee border guards. Seventy percent of all Americans agreed that Bush should pardon the border patrol agents. Ninety-one percent of Republicans, 73% of Independents and 47% of Democrats also felt the President should pardon these two border patrol agents.

   Q214. Do you agree or disagree that President Bush pardon the two border         patrol agents sent to prison in 2006 for shooting a Mexican drug         dealer in the buttocks while trying to flee the border guards?                                         Total       Dem.    Rep.     Ind.                                          %          %       %        %   Agree                                 70         47      91       73   Disagree                              17         32       3       15   Not Sure                              13         21       6       12  

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Source: Associated Television News

CONTACT: Brad O'Leary of Associated Television News, +1-310-274-2223

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