Polls Find Most Americans Agree with Arizona Immigration-Enforcement Law

A new poll released today by CNN revealed that three-quarters of Americans support Arizona’s SB 1070 law, which allows police to check the immigration status of suspected illegal aliens after a lawful stop. Another poll by CBS News found that sixty-two percent of Americans believe that both the federal government and state governments should be able to determine laws regarding illegal aliens.The polls give insight on American attitudes toward the related Supreme Court case. The U.S. Department of Justice is challenging the Arizona’s SB1070 on the grounds that it conflicts with what it contends is the federal government’s exclusive right to set immigration laws for the country. The Court is expected to render a decision in the case this month.Asked if they support the measure, 75% of respondents in the CNN poll said they are in favor of it, while 24% say they are against it. The poll was conducted by from May 29-31, with 1,009 adults nationwide questioned by telephone, including 895 registered voters. CBS News conducted a related poll from May 31 to June 3, but not of registered voters. 52 percent of respondents said that Arizona’s immigration-enforcement law is “about right” and eleven percent said the law does not go far enough. Only 33 percent thought it went too far.The CBS poll also found that a majority of Americans disagree with the Justice department. Sixty-two percent of respondents – and majorities of both political parties and Independents- say both the federal government and state governments should be able to determine laws regarding illegal aliens. Twenty-five percent (30 percent of Democrats and 16 percent of Republicans) think such laws should be determined exclusively by the federal government, and 11 percent (4 percent of Democrats and 15 percent of Republicans) think they should be determined by state governments only. For more information, read CNN and CBS News.