New Poll Reveals Minority Likely Voters Favor Enforcement Over Amnesty

A new poll conducted by Zogby finds that while many minority voters do support an amnesty, the majority favor enforcement efforts that encourage illegal aliens to go home. The full details of the poll can be found on the Center for Immigration Studies’ website.

The poll surveyed roughly 700 Hispanic, 400 African-American, and 400 Asian-American likely voters. It asked a series of questions regarding how to handle the current illegal alien population living in the United States, whether or not the United States needs to import more foreign labor, and whether current legal immigration numbers are too high or too low.

The poll finds:

In contrast to the leadership of many ethnic advocacy groups, most members of minority groups think immigration is too high.

Hispanics: 56 percent said it is too high; 7 percent said too low; 14 percent just right.
Asian-Americans: 57 percent said immigration is too high; 5 percent said too low; 18 percent just right.
African-Americans: 68 percent said it is too high; 4 percent said too low; 14 percent just right.

Most members of minority groups do not feel that illegal immigration is caused by limits on legal immigration as many ethnic advocacy groups argue; instead, members feel it’s due to a lack of enforcement.

Hispanics: Just 20 percent said illegal immigration was caused by not letting in enough legal immigrants; 61 percent said inadequate enforcement.
Asian-Americans: 19 percent said not enough legal immigration; 69 percent said inadequate enforcement.
African-Americans: 16 percent said not enough legal immigration; 70 percent said inadequate enforcement.

Most members of minority groups feel that there are plenty of Americans available to fill unskilled jobs.

Hispanics: 15 percent said legal immigration should be increased to fill unskilled jobs; 65 percent said there are plenty of Americans available to do unskilled jobs, employers just need to pay more.
Asian-Americans: 19 percent said increase immigration; 65 percent said plenty of Americans are available.
African-Americans: 6 percent said increase immigration; 81 percent said plenty of Americans are available.

When asked to choose between enforcement that would cause illegal immigrants in the country to go home or offering them a pathway to citizenship with conditions, most members of minority groups choose enforcement.

Hispanics: 52 percent support enforcement to encourage illegals to go home; 34 percent support conditional legalization.
Asian-Americans: 57 percent support enforcement; 29 percent support conditional legalization.
African-Americans: 50 percent support enforcement; 30 percent support conditional legalization.

See a full analysis.