Immigration Polls

While we as a country are debating the issue of immigration, it is important to evaluate the polls being published. As I have mentioned many times in the past, the answers you receive depend in large part upon how the question is asked. A recent poll by ABC News and the Washington Post provide a good illustration of what I mean.

The headline touted that a majority of Americans support the current immigration plan offered by the president. The pollsters found that 53 percent support spending an additional $4 billion to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border. That is true as far as it goes. But the implication in the question was that Americans were for spending the money if it is coupled with border security and deportations.

How much of that $4 billion will be spent on border security is still in dispute between the political parties. And it is fair to say that many wonder how dedicated the administration is to border security. Deeper in the poll was the conclusion that a majority (58%) of Americans disapproved of the president’s handling of immigration.

Another example would be the Gallup poll a few months ago that found that “border security and immigrant status were equally important.” In other words, there were as many Americans who wanted a plan to deal with the large number of immigrants already living here in America, as there were those who wanted to halt the flow of illegal immigrants in this country. Typically border security rates at least ten points higher than Congress developing a path for citizenship for illegal aliens.

That poll probably reflected the mistaken belief that the border was secure and that it was now time to focus on what to do with those who are here. Of course, the events of the last few months show that the border is far from secure. When given the choice, Americans still believe that border security is the first priority. That is why we need to view all of these polls on immigration with some discernment.

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