CNN Immigration Poll Redux: 2/3 Favor Legalization Over Deportation

America's Voice Blog

Posted 10/28/09 at 07:39am

$fuzzy math$ Here’s the headline CNN put on a poll it released last week, which has already made the rounds on Lou Dobbs Tonight, and all the top immigration-restriction websites:

CNN Poll: 3 out of 4 want illegal immigration decreased

Sounds pretty tough on immigrants, right? Rough week for common-sense immigration reform? Actually, no.

See, CNN asked whether Americans wanted more or less illegal immigration. Since both advocates and foes of comprehensive immigration reform agree that more illegal immigration would be undesirable, this question doesn’t say much.

Real reform means a streamlined immigration system that people go through and not around, as well as creating a pathway to legal status for the undocumented immigrants already living, working, and raising families in our country.

CNN could have just as easily released their poll with this headline:

CNN Poll: 2 of 3 Americans want immigrants legalized, not deported

Sounds a bit different, eh?

It only takes a few minutes to do the math.

CNN found that 37% of Americans wanted “all illegal immigrants currently in the country removed”—which is about half of the 73% who wanted less illegal immigration. The other half of the people who told CNN that they wanted illegal immigration to decrease favors a solution other than mass deportation. We can assume, therefore, that 2 of 3 Americans prefer a pathway to earned citizenship (legalization) for immigrants without legal status to mass deportation.

Since CNN didn’t bother to poll support for reform, however, we can’t draw firm conclusions, but it is no surprise that most Americans are upset with the status quo. If anything, it’s surprising that even 27% of respondents didn’t express a desire for an immediate solution to our nation’s immigration crisis.

The reality is that splashy headlines about what percentage of Americans want to send immigrants packing tend to sell, while more nuanced headlines that show continued support for real solutions don’t get the same attention.

When pollsters actually do a thorough job polling on immigration, however, they consistently find strong support for comprehensive reform. A May poll conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group found that 75% of Americans supported Congressional action on immigration, and 68% supported a path to legalization for the undocumented.

Even amongst Republican and Swing voters, support for comprehensive reform is sky-high. In a recent survey of Independent Voters, even tough economic questions revealed support for reform:

When asked whether “We would be better off if people who are in the United States illegally became legal taxpayers so they pay their fair share,” or “We would be better off if people who are in the United States illegally left the country because they are taking away jobs that Americans need,” 68% of Independents agreed with the former statement while 29% chose the latter.

Moral of the story?

When pollsters ask simplistic questions about whether people favor “illegal” immigration, the only thing to learn is what advocates for immigration reform already understand: Americans think the current immigration system is broken, and they want to see it fixed, soon.