A survey finds mixed views on illegal residents and a deep political divide over the issue.
By Peter Hecht -- Bee Capitol Bureau
The Sacramento Bee: Nearly three out of four Californians say they are concerned about illegal immigration, yet most don't believe illegal residents are taking jobs that Californians want, a new Field Poll reveals.
According to the poll, conducted Feb. 12-26 and released Wednesday, 73 percent of poll respondents said they were worried about the impact of illegal immigration and 43 percent described themselves as "extremely concerned."
Yet 70 percent also said they believe illegal workers are doing jobs that other state residents don't want. And by a 65 percent to 27 percent margin, Californians said they favored creating a temporary worker program that would legalize the status of many undocumented immigrants.
"I think the poll reflects the complexity of the immigration issue," said Arturo Carmona, a consultant to Federaciones Mexicanas en Norte America, an organization of Mexican immigrant community groups. "While Californians realize they need immigrants to do the dirty work, they don't fully understand the reasons for why they are here."
The poll of 500 California adults, including 337 registered voters, also indicated sharp political differences between Republicans and Democrats over how severely they view the issue of illegal immigration.
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