Zogby Poll of California Voters on Immigration

Alliance for a Sustainable USA (AS-USA)

A majority of registered voters throughout the state of California believes continued immigration makes the possibility of reform of the stateís education system much more difficult, a new poll by Zogby International reveals.

The poll, conducted between February 26 and March 2, 2001 of 802 registered California voters, was commissioned by the Oakland, Calif.-based A Sustainable USA. The poll has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.6%.

State education reform?
A majority (62%) believes that continued immigration makes state education reform more difficult, compared to 32% who say it would have no impact on reform. Another 7% are unsure.

Most ethnic groups believe continued immigration makes state education reform more difficult, including whites (65% more difficult, 31% no impact), Hispanics (66%-27%) and African Americans (67%-28%). Asian Americans, however, disagree with the majority with 54% believing there would be no impact on education reform, compared to 41% who say immigration makes reform more difficult.

Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants?
Another clear majority oppose a proposed state law granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Results show 67% oppose such a law, 29% support the law, with 4% not sure. Respondents were told that state legislators have proposed a law allowing illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses and that licenses can be used as one form of identification to apply for welfare benefits.

Whites and Asian Americans had the highest levels of opposition to licenses for illegals, at 70% and 64%, respectively, with African Americans (63%) and Hispanics (54%) also disapproving.

Reduced Tuition for Illegal Immigrants?
Overall, nearly three-quarters of respondents oppose a law giving illegal immigrants reduced tuition to state colleges and universities.

Whites (78%) and Asian Americans (65%) oppose such a law, as do Hispanics (55%) and African Americans (51%).

American vs. Foreign workers?
A clear majority agrees that employers should be required to certify that there are no American workers available for a job before an employer imports workers from overseas. Results show 68% agree, 27% disagree and 5% are unsure. Immigrants who have acquired U.S. citizenship are more in agreement (83% agree, 12% disagree) than those born a U.S. citizen (68% agree, 27% disagree).

Moratorium on legal immigration?
Results show that 43% of those surveyed believe a three-year moratorium, or authorized suspension of legal immigration, would be beneficial to the state, compared to 40% who say such a suspension will be harmful to the state. Another 16% are not sure.

African Americans (65% beneficial, 24% harmful) support such a moratorium in much higher percentages than whites (44% beneficial, 38% harmful) and Hispanics (34% beneficial, 56% harmful).

Slight differences in opinion are seen between U.S.-born citizens (44% beneficial, 40% harmful) and immigrants who have since acquired U.S. citizenship (40% beneficial, 46% harmful). At the same time, men and women are split with men generally opposing such an action (39% beneficial, 46% harmful) and women supporting such an action (47% beneficial, 35% harmful).


 


 
Polling Details
 
10. The California Department of Education recently reported that one in four schoolchildren in the state's schools cannot speak English well enough to understand what goes on in the classroom. Knowing this, will continued immigration make it more difficult for education reform to succeed or will it have no effect?
 
Table 4. Effect on Education Reform
 
Overall % Bay % LA/SD % Other %
More difficult 62 51 58 69
No effect 32 40 35 25
Not sure 7 9 7 6

 
Twice as many California voters (62%) say education reform will be more difficult than those who say it will have no effect (32%).
 
More respondents from other areas of California (69%), than respondents from the Bay area (51%), Los Angeles or San Diego (58%), say they think continued immigration will make education reform more difficult.
 
More respondents older than 50 (68% average), than respondents 18 to 49 (54% average), believe it will be more difficult for education reform to succeed with continued immigration.
 

 
18. State legislators have proposed a law allowing illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. Knowing that in California, driver's licenses can be used as one form of identification to apply for welfare benefits, do you support or oppose a law granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants?
 
Oppose 67%
Support 29
Not sure 4

 
Two-thirds of respondents oppose a law allowing illegal immigrants to apply for a driver's license. More immigrants (71%) than U.S. citizens (67%) oppose such a law.
 
More Republicans (79%), than Democrats (62%) or Independents (55%) also oppose such a law. Three-quarters of homemakers, compared to 60% of women who work for wages, oppose a law granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
 
A majority of respondents age 18 to 29 (55%), compared to an average 30% of respondents 30 and older, supports a law granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.
 

 
17. The state legislature proposed a law giving illegal immigrants reduced tuition to state colleges and universities. Do you support of oppose such a law?
 
Oppose 72%
Support 25
Not sure 3

 
Older voters are more likely than younger voters to oppose the law. For example, an average of 76% of respondenets 30 and older, compared to 49% of respondents 18-29, say they would oppose a law fiving illegal immigrant reduced tuition.
 
More Republicans (84%), than Democrats (65%) or Independents (64%), oppose a law giving illegal immigrants reduced tuition to state colleges and universities.
 

 
20. Do you agree or disagree that employers should be required to certify that there are no American workers available for a job before an employer imports workers from overseas?
 
Agree 68%
Disagree 27
Not sure 5

 
By more than a two-to-one margin, a large majority (68%) agrees that employers should be required to certify that there are no American workers available for a job before an employer imports workers from overseas.
 
There is little difference of opinion among sub groups.
 
Republicans, Democrats and Independents (69% average) all agree that employers should certify there are no American workers available before they import workers.
 
Surprisingly, more immigrants (83%), than U.S. citizens (68%), agree that employers should certify there are no American workers available before they import workers.
 

 
15. Do you think a three-year moratorium on legal immigration would be beneficial or harmful to Californians?
 
Beneficial 43%
Harmful 40
Not sure 16

 
Overall, there was a narrow split among respondents. Forty-three percent believe a three-year moratorium would be beneficial, and 40% believes it would be harmful to Californians.
 
Republicans (47%), more than Democrats (42%) or Independents (39%), say they think a three-year moratorium on legal immigration would be beneficial to Californians.
 
Nearly half of immigrants (46%), compared to 40% of U.S. citizens, say a three-year moratorium would be harmful to California. In addition, more men than women (46% to 35%) say the moratorium would be harmful.