Poll Finds Americans Opposing Increase in Legal Immigration

Nearly half of all Americans believe that the nation accepts too many immigrants and an overwhelming majority opposes bills that would allow even more to enter, according to a poll released Monday by a Washington lobby that advocates stricter immigration limits.

The Roper Organization poll, which was commissioned by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, was immediately criticized by immigration advocates, who contend that it asked the wrong questions of a public that is misinformed on the issue.

When asked whether current laws “allow too many immigrants, too few immigrants or about the right number” into the country annually, 48% of the respondents said that too many are permitted to live here. Only 9% said too few, and 29% said about the right number are allowed to enter. Fourteen percent had no opinion.

More than seven in 10 expressed opposition to legislation that could double the estimated 600,000 immigrants allowed to enter the country legally each year, 20% supported such a bill and 8% were undecided. Congress is considering legislation that would raise the limits on legal immigration in order to reunite American citizens with their families or attract foreign workers who have skills that are in demand here.

“The bottom line is that Americans want less, not more, immigration,” FAIR President Dan Stein said. “The poll shows that the age of large-scale immigration is coming to an end in America.”

Cecelia Munoz, a lobbyist with the National Council of La Raza, a Washington-based organization that supports increased immigration, said that the poll’s findings were not surprising, given the way the questions were framed.

“When you ask the general public should there be more immigration the answer is always no,” Munoz said. “But when you talk about families--reuniting a married couple or a mother with her children--the American public is very generous. It’s all a matter of the kind of question you ask.”

The Roper Organization polled 1,000 adults, 18 years or older, by telephone between April 20 and May 2. In a supplemental survey, 144 Latino adults were questioned, bringing the total number of Latino respondents to 201. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Additional findings:

--Nearly four of five respondents (79%) believe that the federal government is doing no better than a fair job in controlling illegal immigration, but 14% believe that the government is doing an excellent or good job. The remainder were undecided.

--Almost two in three (62%) believe that the country has a “serious problem” with illegal border crossings, 29% believe border security is “pretty good” and 10% had no opinion.

--Nearly half (48%) said that U.S. immigration policy needs revision, but 30% believe that current policy is sufficient, and 22% were undecided.

Stein acknowledged a “tiny” measure of racism or xenophobic concerns among the poll’s results but downplayed that aspect.