Reply #19: OnTheIssues reports CA, TX, NY, FL, IL have 80% of illegal aliens.

[jody]

Background on Immigration

55% of all illegal aliens come from Mexico. (Other Latin American countries account for another 20%).

40% of all illegal aliens live in California. (TX, NY, FL, and IL account for the next 40%).

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) reports the following for the key states.

California
A Field Poll by the Field Research Corporation of 570 registered California voters taken from March 20-31, 2007 found that:
• 83% support the legalization of illegal immigrants who are employed and have resided in the United States for “a number of years,” and a lower share (67%) agree to a temporary worker program for illegal immigrants.
• 77% believe that illegal immigration is either a “very serious problem” (48%) or a “somewhat serious problem” (28%).
• 71% agree with strengthening border patrols.
• 63% support stiffer penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.
• 53% favor deporting illegal immigrants.

Texas
A study by Rice University of 650 residents of Houston in April, 2007 found that:
• 55.8% agree with imposing fines and criminal charges on employers for employing illegal immigrants
• A majority of Texans say immigration should be decreased (51%) or kept at its present level (31%).
• A large majority said the "main focus of the US government in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration" should be to stop the flow of illegal immigration (56%).
• A majority (52%) think legal immigrants "mostly hurt the economy by driving wages down for many Americans," and
• A larger majority (60%) said the same about illegal immigrants. (Scripps Howard Texas poll, November, 2005 - 5%age point margin of error)
• 64% said the U.S. allows too many legal immigrants into the country. (Scripps Howard Texas, March 2002)
• 93% support tightening restrictions on visas for foreign students. (Scripps Howard Texas, Dec. 2001)

New York
• 72% of New Yorkers think that entering the United States with out valid immigration document should be made a criminal offense.
• 66% of New Yorkers support border controls.
• 45% of New Yorkers would like the number of immigrant to decrease. (Empire State Poll, July 2006)

Florida
A South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Florida Times-Union poll taken in April, 2006 (of 600 adults, including of 138 non-voters) found that:
• 88% believe that illegal immigrants drain social services.
• 72% believe that illegal immigrants should be denied driver's licenses.
• 60% believe that illegal immigrants are driving down wages and hurting the economy.

Illinois
The Northern Illinois University's Center for Government Studies released the Illinois Policy Survey taken from November of 2006 until January of 2007 (of 1,200 residents of voting age) found that:
• 66% find that illegal immigration is either a ‘big problem’ (32%) or ‘somewhat of a problem’ (34%).
• 66% favor punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants.
• 47% support laws against landlords who rent to illegal immigrants.

I don't see how any presidential candidate or party can ignore the electoral votes of those key states who oppose illegal aliens.
CA 55
TX 34
NY 31
FL 27
IL 21