Zogby Poll: 56% of Mexicans believe amnesty will increase illegal immigration
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By Carl Braun
Examiner.com
A recently deported illegal alien waits near the border in Tijuana to cross back into US.
AP Photo/Guillermo Arias
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A poll conducted by Zogby International in Mexico found that 56% of Mexicans believed that amnesty in the US would lead to increased levels of illegal immigration. The poll from August and September 2009 of 1,004 Mexican citizens age 18 or older was very revealing. It suggests what many of us already suspected: that as long as there is an open border, people will attempt to cross it no matter what the policies or laws of the United States are. If the statistics in this poll are accurate (+/- 3.1%) and are truly indicative of the way Mexican nationals think, than assimilation by immigrants from Mexico at least, is a thing of the past. Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal are largely here for the payday and won't be pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes anytime soon. According to the poll, 68.8% felt that Mexicans living in the US should maintain primary loyalty to Mexico while only 19.7% felt they should be loyal to their country of residence; the United States. Other findings were:
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Two-thirds of Mexicans know someone living in the United States; one-third said an immediate member of their household was living in the United States.
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Interest in going to the United States remains strong even in the current recession, with 36 percent of Mexicans (39 million people) saying they would move to the United States if they could. At present, 12 to 13 million Mexico-born people live in the United States.
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A new Pew Research Center poll also found that about one-third of Mexicans would go to the United States if they could.
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Also, 69 percent of people in Mexico felt that the Mexican government should represent the interests of Mexican-Americans (Mexico- and U.S.-born) in the United States.
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A plurality, 39 percent, of Mexicans thought that in the last year fewer people they know had gone to the United States as illegal immigrants compared to previous years. Only 27 percent thought more had gone. The rest thought it had stayed the same or were unsure.
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A plurality, 40 percent, also thought that in the last year more of the illegal immigrants they know had returned to Mexico compared to previous years. Only 25 percent thought the number returning had fallen. The rest thought it had stayed the same or were unsure.
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Both the bad economy and increased immigration enforcement were cited as reasons fewer people were going to America as illegal immigrants and more were coming back to Mexico.
As America moves closer to a debate of Comprehensive Immigration Reform it is interesting to note that according to this poll, legalization of the current illegal aliens in the US would only lead to more illegal immigration; much like the last amnesty. Reforming our immigration policies to make it easier to come to the US will not stem nor stop the flow of the illegal variety and instead will likely increase it.
The only clear solution is to secure the border first and then discuss what will happen to the 12-20 million already here illegally. Until such time as we know who is here (both legal and illegal) and what contribution they make to this society, ALL immigration should be stopped immediately.
Carl Braun is an analyst for the Homeland Security Policy Institute Group and he's logged 5,000-plus hours on the border. He has written several books including his most recent on Border Insecurity, “Above All Else”
. Contact Carl at Carl.Braun@BPAUX.org.
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