Poll: Immigrants Should Have Chance At Citizenship

By Raj Chohan

cbs4denver.com: DENVER: A majority of voters surveyed in a recent Rocky Mountain News/CBS4 News poll said they favored a type of immigration reform that offered some sort of pathway to citizenship.

56 percent of Republicans, 68 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of independents said they favor immigration reform similar to what the President has proposed. The results showed 15 percent of Coloradans said we ought to deport illegal immigrants.

"Colorado voters want a policy that's tough but fair on immigration," said Lori Weigel of Public Opinion Strategies. "Six in 10 voters prefer essentially the Senate legislation on immigration that would essentially allow an earned path to citizenship."

Forty percent of the voters in the poll said they know of someone or suspect they know someone who is an illegal immigrant.

"So today, only 15 percent of Coloradans say we ought to deport all illegal immigrants in our country," Weigel said. "A majority, a solid majority, say that instead there ought to be some pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants that are already here, who promise to learn English, pay back taxes, they should become citizens."

The poll also found that three-quarters of those surveyed believe the immigration measures passed during a special session of the State Legislature will have little to no impact on the immigration problem.