60% Say Federal Government Encourages Illegal Immigration

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60% Say Federal Government Encourages Illegal Immigration

Friday, May 20, 2011

Most voters continue to believe that the federal government’s policies encourage illegal immigration but remain closely divided over whether it's better to let the federal government or individual states enforce immigration laws.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 60% now believe the policies and practices of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally. Twenty-one percent (21%) disagree and do not think the government encourages illegal immigration. Another 19% are not sure.

The number of voters who believe the federal government's policies encourage people to enter the country illegally is in keeping with findings since October 2009.

This comes at a time when voters are more pessimistic than ever about the possibility of stopping illegal immigration for good in the United States.

But voters have mixed feelings about who should be the primary enforcer of immigration laws. While 45% think allowing individual states to act on their own to enforce laws is the better approach, 48% prefer relying on the federal government. This is consistent with recent surveys, but the number who think allowing states to enforce the law is the better approach is down 10 points from last September when Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration was in the news.

Still, 67% of voters think a state should have the right to enforce immigration laws if it believes the federal government is not enforcing them.

Voters continue to believe taking control of the border is more important than legalizing undocumented workers already here, and 61% support using the U.S. military along the border to prevent illegal immigration. Twenty-seven percent (27%) do not support the military being used along the border. Another 12% are undecided.

Support for the military along the border is down slightly from a year ago when President Obama announced he was sending troops there but only to prevent Mexican drug violence from spilling over into this country.

Republicans (75%) and voters not affiliated with either major political party (62%) feel more strongly than Democrats (44%) that the federal government's policies encourages illegal immigration.

Most Republicans (65%) believe allowing individual states to enforce immigration laws is the best approach, but 69% of Democrats prefer relying on the federal government. Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided between the two options.

Republicans and unaffiliateds support using the military along the border to prevent illegal immigration more than Democrats do.

Most Political Class voters (60%) think enforcing immigration laws should be the responsibility of the federal government, while 54% of Mainstream voters think it should be left to the states.

Separate polling finds that 43% of voters trust Republicans to handle immigration, while 39% trust Democrats more.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) favor a cutoff of federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities, but only 29% think Congress is even somewhat likely to pass such a measure.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/60_say_federal_government_encourages_illegal_immigration