Earlier today we saw polling by Beneson Strategy Group on immigration showing dominant support for comprehensive immigration reform. The results seemed counter-intuitive -- how could support for immigration reform be increasing in a down economy? Conventional wisdom suggests that anti-immigrant sentiment increases when times are tough. So what gives?
As part of their exploration of the issue, America's Voice had Pollster Celinda Lake conduct a series of focus groups (PDF) around the country. Among her findings:
Though the immigration issue does interact with the economy, focus group participants do not blame the economic crisis on legal or illegal immigration. When asked where they direct their anger, participants are most likely to name corporations, Wall Street CEOs, and a general lack of accountability.
The economy and all the other urgent problems currently facing the country have put voters into a more solution oriented frame of mind, continuing their receptiveness to comprehensive immigration reform. Unlike earlier this decade, cultural anxiety and the need to "punish lawbreakers" is not the dominant mood on the immigration issue. Instead, voters are much more interested in common sense solutions that fix a system which they see overwhelmingly as broken. There is no appetite for mass deportation nor for enforcement-only policies among swing voters.
The tested proposal for comprehensive immigration reform receives very strong support across focus groups. Participants view it as a practical, common sense solution. Participants liked that it sets up an orderly process and that immigrants who go through the system are showing a commitment to becoming Americans. Voters like the combination of requirements of having undocumented immigrants register, work, pay taxes, learn English, and get in line to apply for citizenship. Voter criticisms were largely
constructive, such as arguing that it may not be realistic in this economy to require people to have a current job. They are also more likely to single out certain provisions as too harsh rather than too lenient.
Fascinating point -- that our current national crisis has put voters into a problem-solving frame of mind, rather than a punitive one among swing voters.
Tough economic times may be a boon for supporters of a broad overhaul of the nation's immigration policies, according to pollsters who are testing the waters ahead of an upcoming White House summit on immigration.
"If anything, the economic climate has actually improved the environment for immigration reform, at least as far as the public is concerned," said Celinda Lake, who heads Lake Research Partners.
"A salient issue is that reform would make immigrants all taxpayers," Lake said during a telephone briefing.
The culture war bigots are finding themselves increasingly isolated on issue after issue. Remember, immigration was going to be the issue that saved the GOP last few election cycles. The GOP hopefuls spent multiple debates one-upping their anti-immigrant rhetoric, to the point that John McCain was forced to concede that he'd vote against his very own immigration reform bill. Now ... poof! First, Republicans lose big, getting zero electoral traction from the immigrant bashing. Then, polling shows people eager for reform.
Turns out Republicans were on the extremely wrong side of that debate. Again.