New Alabama Opinion Poll Shows Broad Support for State Immigration Enforcement Law

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Mar 19, 2012, 03:00 ET

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A statewide opinion poll of likely Alabama voters, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, finds broad support for the state's immigration enforcement law, HB 56. The survey of 500 likely voters was commissioned by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and was conducted on March 6.

Seventy-five percent of Alabama voters support HB 56, with 52 percent of voters saying they "strongly support" the law. Only 24 percent of likely voters in the state oppose HB 56, including 11 percent who "strongly oppose" it.

Despite a vigorous effort by opponents of HB 56 to discredit the law, Alabamians overwhelmingly dismiss the contention that it will damage the state's economy. Only 18 percent of respondents think HB 56 "will harm Alabama's economy by depriving businesses of workers they need," while 59 percent believe it "will free-up jobs for other Alabama workers and will save the state money on services for illegal immigrants."

The poll was conducted while advocates for illegal aliens were carrying out what they described as a "reenactment" of the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. However, the poll shows that voters overwhelmingly reject the assertion that HB 56 will lead to racial profiling or other forms of unlawful discrimination. Just 22 percent of Alabama voters agreed that HB 56 "is likely to lead to discrimination against people who appear foreign, especially people who are Hispanic." Two-thirds of Alabama voters, 66 percent, believe the law "will only be enforced when there is evidence that someone of any race or ethnicity is in the country illegally and will not rely on profiling."

As critics of HB 56 press for repeal or substantial changes to the law, Alabama voters remain firmly committed to maintaining the law and allowing the state to play a role in immigration enforcement. Fifty-four percent of Alabama voters want to keep the law on the books, compared with just 18 percent who strongly support and 15 percent who somewhat support repealing the law.

"Despite shrill and relentless attacks by illegal alien advocacy groups, the media, and the Obama administration, HB 56 continues to enjoy strong support from the people who should count the most: the voters of Alabama," commented Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "This is a phenomenon we see repeated over and over again wherever an effort is made to enforce immigration laws. Advocates for illegal aliens make a lot of noise and hurl unfounded accusations, while voters steadfastly register their support for common sense immigration enforcement policies.

"HB 56 enjoys broad support among Alabama voters because, like Americans all across the country, they do not believe that the federal government is doing the job or protecting their interests," continued Stein. "It is clear that voters in Alabama believe that mass illegal immigration is a serious problem and that the state has a legitimate role to play in enforcing laws that discourage illegal immigration."

To view the full poll results, please visit FAIR's website.

About FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org.

SOURCE FAIR