We commissioned a survey of people who voted in 'Toss Up Districts' in yesterday's midterm election. These voters answered they are willing to compromise on immigration, but not with a DACA-for-wall deal.
Here's the scary scenario:
Because Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats will control the House next year, and Donald Trump and Republicans will control the rest of the federal government, many people are speculating that the most logical immigration action would be the two sides trading a DACA amnesty for wall funding.
Sen. Graham (R-S.C.) who is likely to be the next chairman of the Judiciary Committee has been pushing the idea.
We at NumbersUSA think that would be an horrific deal for American workers and communities.
Fortunately, our polling of voters in "Toss Up" Districts last night and this morning found they apparently think the way we do on that compromise. (We commissioned the poll of 2,000 voters in 31 "Toss Up" congressional Districts that had been identified by Real Clear Politics last Friday as being the most competitive. These are the Districts -- and voters -- that largely determined who will control the House next year.)
In yesterday's election, voters in those Districts decided to replace a couple of Democrats with Republicans, replace a number of Republicans with Democrats, and keep other Republicans in place after hard-fought contests. (Read my first analysis of the results that I wrote at 4:30 this morning.)
But regardless of party, most were agreed on their dislike for the DACA-for-wall deal.
Here was the question we posed to those voters about the compromise that is being discussed:
QUESTION: Do you support another compromise being considered that would legalize certain young-adult illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children and would greatly increase walls and fencing on the Mexico border, but would keep total immigration at one million a year while continuing extended family migration and allowing employers to hire without checking legal status with E-Verify?
20% Yes to DACA-for-wall deal
58% No to DACA-for-wall deal
Republicans didn't want a wall that badly (20% YES vs. 64% NO).
Democrats didn't want a DACA amnesty that badly (25% vs. 47%).
Hispanic voters didn't like it (29% to 48%), and Independents liked the compromise even less (13% vs. 66%).
GREAT SUPPORT FOR ANOTHER COMPROMISE
The DACA-for-wall compromise question was offered to voters immediately after offering them another compromise:
QUESTION: Do you support a compromise being considered by Congress that would give lifetime work permits to certain young adults who came to the United States illegally as children, and that also would reduce future immigration by ending extended family migration and by mandating that employers use E-Verify?
56% YES to this DACA for immigration reduction & mandatory E-Verify compromise
21% NO
The approval of this compromise was almost the exact reverse of the rejection of the other compromise.
The approval rate was Democrats (44%-26%), Independents (53%-23%), Hispanics (55%-22%), Republicans (68%-15%).
'TOSS UP' VOTERS WANT TO MANDATE E-VERIFY & END CHAIN MIGRATION
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Voters were asked about the importance of greatly increasing walls and fencing on the Mexican border, mandating E-Verify, punishing employers of illegal workers and increasing deportations.
Mandating E-Verify received the greatest enthusiasm as a way to control illegal immigration.
QUESTION: In trying to control illegal immigration, how important is it to mandate that all employers use the electronic E-Verify system so only legal workers can obtain jobs?
79% said important (56% "very" & 23% "somewhat")
18% said not very important or not important
The ratio of support for the importance of mandating E-Verify was 65% vs. 29% for Democrats, 76% vs. 20% for Independents, and 71% vs.24% for Hispanics, and an incredible 93% vs. 6% for Republicans eager to stop law-breaking businesses from enticing illegal immigration.
Support for ending chain migration wasn't as overwhelming as for mandating E-Verify but still favored by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.
QUESTION: When individuals in other countries are allowed to immigrate to the United States because of their skill or humanitarian need, who should be able to eventually follow them?
65% Spouse and minor children only
27% Extended family in addition to spouse and minor children
As the survivors and the conquering challengers begin to converge on Washington the next couple of months, it will be easy for them to listen to false analysis of what the elections meant for the immigration issue, or to get involved in political gamemanship.
But the survey of citizens last night after they had voted needs to be thrust at every Member of Congress to remind them that the people who decided the fate of the House have some definite ideas about how to reform our immigration system.
WATCH FOR OUR ALERTS ON WAYS YOU CAN KEEP POLITICIANS FOCUSED ON POLICY SOLUTIONS AND NOT POLITICAL ONEUPMANSHIP. THANKS!
ROY BECK is Founder & President of NumbersUSA
