Pew: Both Democrats and Republicans oppose illegal immigration

From the "for what it's worth file" comes "Illegal immigration concerns could split both parties":

...Americans, polls show, are upset about the government's inability to control illegal immigration, which now accounts for about 11 million illegal residents inside the U.S. borders. They are particularly unhappy with Bush's handling of the issue. One poll showed that only 24 percent of those polled approved of his approach.

Social conservatives see the massive influx of immigrants, nearly 8 million over the past five years, as a threat to American culture.

...[Reporter portrays some of them as xenophobes]...

Meanwhile, blue-collar workers feel threatened economically. They sense that immigrants, particularly illegal immigrants, are taking jobs that once went to them, or at the least, they are depressing local wages by providing cheap labor for unscrupulous employers. The American Chamber of Commerce estimates that 25 percent of dishwashers and drywall installers are illegal immigrants.

The split among lawmakers reflects that of the public on immigration, pollsters say.

Half of those polled want a hard-line approach that would stiffen the borders, limit immigration and boot out the current illegal immigrants. They are adamantly opposed to a guest-worker program, and particularly any form of amnesty.

Apparently enforcing our laws is a revolutionary concept to the reporter.

The other half also want much tighter border security, but they also are amenable to a guest-worker program and a method to allow current residents to possibly earn citizenship.

"There's no party divide on the issue, which is really interesting at a time when almost every issue is so partisan, "said Michael Dimock, associate director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. "The balance of opinion is split in each party."

"For instance, on the question of guest workers, business-oriented Republicans like guest workers, but socially conservative Republicans or more blue-collar Republicans don't like it. They see immigrants as a burden on the country.

"But working-class Democrats are just as concerned about the impact of immigrants on our culture," he said. "The fact is that there are people on both sides in both parties."

Dimock appears to be basing his comments on "Economy, Iraq Weighing Down Bush Popularity" from May 2005.

Immigration · Thu, 12/22/2005 - 23:33 · · Importance: 1