A majority of Alabamians support our state’s immigration law, but only 19% believe the law needs no changes, according to a recent poll that was made known on March 21st. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they favor the law, while 35% said they oppose it. The poll was done by Anzalone Liszt Research, a national public opinion and political consulting firm. It’s significant that more than half of voters statewide believe the immigration law needs changes. Nineteen percent of poll respondents said the law needs no changes and 13% believed it should be repealed entirely. I happen to fall in that latter group.

John Anzalone says a respectable majority of Alabamians favor the law, but that the percentage has likely narrowed in recent months because of intensive news scrutiny of the law on “things like the crop stories and farmers not being able to harvest.” The poll results did not differentiate the types of changes that voters want. John likens public opinion on the immigration law to views on federal healthcare reform. Folks have strong opinions, but might not know the specifics of what they want changed. John also says that significant numbers of both Democrats and Republicans polled said they favor changes and that “it really defies political party.” According to the poll:

• Fifty-three percent GOP primary voters believe the law needs changes. Among Tea Party supporters, 49% prefer changing the law, with 40% wanting to leave it as it is.

• Fifty-eight percent of Democrats and 64% of African Americans believe the law should be changed. One-in-four Democrats and 16% of African Americans say “the law is not working and should be entirely repealed.”

• Sixty percent of independent voters prefer changes.

The immigration law has badly hurt our state in a number of areas. With all of the problems facing Alabama, it really makes me wonder why getting rid of folks in our state had to be such a top priority. Perhaps, if our elected leaders had spent as much time keeping drugs from crossing our borders from Mexico as they have on keeping folks out and sending those who are already here back, our country would be in a better shape.

Source: AL.com