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Poll: Americans support legalization

12:54 H | Topics: Immigration - Society

The majority of American people support the legalization of undocumented immigrants, according to a USA Today-Gallup poll conducted last weekend and released yesterday. According to USA Today, "78% of respondents feel people now in the country illegally should be given a chance at citizenship."

I don't know about you, but I'm a little (pleasantly) suprised by this. Given the number of people commenting about immigration on this website and the nature of those comments, one would think that we are living in the most anti-immigrant society in the world.

Senator Ted Kennedy doesn't seem surprised, saying:

"As with so many issues, the American people are ahead of Washington on immigration reform. They know that only a plan that offers a path to earned citizenship will fix our broken system."

Do polls really matter? I know that politicians lean on them to test the waters with the public, but in the end decisions in Washington are made in a vacuum and unfortunately I don't think the results of this poll will transcend today's headlines.

Via / USA Today

Related

• 9-11 ICE Arrests in San Francisco Highlight Disregard for Nuestros Niños y Familias (Monday, Sep 15 2008)
• Water, Water Everywhere For Immigrants Coming In Via Arizona (Tuesday, Sep 09 2008)