Poll: Support for Senate Immigration Bill Plummets

A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows that only 39 percent of Americans want an immigration bill that cuts illegal immigration by only 50 percent from current levels as the Senate’s recently-passed “Gang of Eight” bill would do.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Senate bill would only reduce illegal immigration by a maximum of 50 percent. “The immigration reform plan passed by the Senate would give legal status to those who have entered the country illegally and reduce future illegal immigration by 50%. Do you favor or oppose that plan?” survey respondents were asked. Only 39 percent of 1,000 likely voters sampled responded that they favored such a plan.

Rasmussen Reports also noted in its release that general support for the Gang of Eight-style immigration plan has fallen, even without the 50 percent reduction figure being included in the question.

When asked three weeks ago whether they support giving legal status to America’s illegal aliens if the border were secured and laws were enforced, 60 percent of likely voters responded in the affirmative. Now, though, only 50 percent support such an idea.

“The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 50% of Likely U.S. Voters now favor a plan to give legal status to those here illegally even if the border is really secured to prevent future immigration,” Rasmussen Reports said in a post on its website about the new polling data. “That’s down from 60% less than three weeks ago despite the U.S. Senate’s passage of the measure since then. Thirty percent (30%) are opposed, and 19% are undecided.”