By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
While Arizona Republican lawmakers ponder a variety of legislative bills aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigration in the state, a Pew Research Center Poll released Feb. 24 continues to show the American public is still opposed to changing the U.S. Constitution to prevent so-called “Birthright Citizenship.”
However, the public continues to support tougher border controls, a clear path toward citizenship and Arizona’s SB 1070 citizen identification bill passed last year.
Nearly six-in-ten (57 percent) oppose changing the Constitution to eliminate automatic citizenship, a figure that has changed little since 2006, the Pew Research Center reported in a survey conducted Feb. 2-7 among 1,385 adults for People & the Press.
Arizona Senate Republicans have passed, or are considering, a variety of bills aimed at illegal immigrants. On Tuesday, an Arizona Senate panel passed a measures that would challenge the 14th Admendment to the U.S. Constitution by dening automatic citizenship to children of immigrants born in the U.S. The measure is among a number of proposals being considered by the legislature, including requiring schools and hospital personnel to ask for proof of legal status before providing services.
If passed by the full legislature, all the bills are expected to meet Federal court challenges.
Opposition to a constitutional amendment is particularly strong among Hispanics (73 percent) and people younger than age 30 (also 73 percent), the center reported. Even among whites, the change face opposition nationwide, with 52 percent of whites opposed to the change, versus 43 percent who favor it. Seniors also continue to oppose the bill by a 48 percent versus a 45 percent margin.
Meanwhile, Republicans are about evenly split (47 percent in favor of changing the Constitution, 49 percent opposed) and Democrats mostly opposed (66 percent vs. 32 percent in favor), the center reported. Independents are divided in about the same way as the public overall (56 percent oppose changing the Constitution, 39 percent are in favor).
The strongest level for changing the Constitution is among Tea Party supporters, with 57 percent in favor, with 38 percent opposed to the change.
While the public does oppose changing the Constitution, a full 42 percent say the priority should be to tighten border security, more strictly enforce immigration laws and creating a way for immigrants to become citizens if they meet certain conditions, the center reported.
The public remains supportive of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070, by a 61 percent margin, virtually unchanged since last summer. The law, most of which has been suspended due to a federal court review, would require police to verify the legal status of someone who has been stopped or arrested.
The Arizona law is supported by 72 percent of whites, but only 42 percent of blacks and just 27 percent of Hispanics, the center reported.
A majority of Democrats (54 percent) disapprove of the law, while an overwhelming proportion of Republicans (88 percent) approve of it. Among independents, 62 percent approve and 34 percent disapprove, the center reported.
The burden on government services remain the biggest concern for those opposed to illegal immigration (40 percent), while only 27 percent say their biggest concern is that it hurts American jobs, the center reported. Only 9 percent said they were concerned that illegal immigration contributed to crime.
But while immigration remains a hot button topic for Republicans and others, the nation’s economy remains the top issue (87 percent), jobs (84 percent), with immigration at 46 percent, the center reported.
Among Republicans, 61 percent cited dealing with illegal immigration as a top policy priority, compared with 47 percent of independents and just 33 percent of Democrats, according to the survey.
Click here to see the full survey.