EmailWhen it comes to immigration reform, most Americans don’t know much about it and few think the Boston bombing should be a factor in the debate.
The issue may be front-and-center in the nation’s capital, but around the rest of the country when it comes to the immigration reform bill before Congress, it turns out most of the country doesn’t know much about it, at least according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
“It’s very early, that’s something to remember,” Carroll Doherty, an associate director at Pew said. “This debate is just really getting underway.”
Four in 10 of those surveyed say they “don’t know” when it comes to their opinion of the immigration bill before the Senate, while 33% say they favor the bill and 28% oppose it.
The lack of opinion and indifference remains fairly consistent throughout other issues the bill may affect, such as if it will help or hurt the U.S. economy, or make the U.S. more or less safe from terrorism. The majority in both cases believe the bill will “not make much of a difference.”
The Pew survey , a self-proclaimed “independent fact tank,” was conducted the last week of April, two weeks after the Boston marathon bombing. When it was discovered the suspected bombers were immigrants, it became a contentious issue for some Republicans who called for a possible delay on the bill.
But for those surveyed, many do not think the bombings should be a factor in the debate for immigration reform, 58% called the two “separate issues.”
What may come as the biggest surprise to those in Washington, barely 20% of those surveyed say they are “following the story very closely,” which may explain why less than half know that the bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators.
Just 37% of those polled know that the legislation was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators—9% thought a group of Democrats introduced the legislation, while 7% believed it was a group of Republicans. The overwhelming majority, 47%, did not know who introduced the bill.
“The idea of the Gang of Eight or a bipartisan group … some would think that would get more attention because it goes against prevailing trends in Washington,” Doherty said, while cautioning that the Boston bombing was capturing most of the attention, as well as the gun control legislation.
The bill, which lays out a path to citizenship that allows undocumented immigrants to stay in the country, was also a lesser known fact by those surveyed.
Only 46% knew that the bill would allow unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country while applying for citizenship.
Doherty said that although many of the policies of the bill are not well known yet, other recent Pew surveys that examined issues included in the Senate legislation provide better context for public perception.
“It almost makes sense to look at our other recent surveys on immigration,” he said. “Attitudes about the basic principles at this point are as important as the early attitudes about the legislation.”
A March survey found that 71% favored finding a way for people here illegally to stay in the country “if they meet certain requirements.”
That same March survey also saw a huge shift in overall perception of immigrants compared to views in the early 1990s.
According to that survey, “63% viewed immigrants as a burden, but the percentage expressing this view declined substantially by the end of the 1990s (to 38% in September 2000).”
Whereas today, “49% agree with the statement “immigrants today strengthen the country because of their hard work and talents.”"
“The changing views on immigration are as important as the snapshot measurements of the legislation,” Doherty said.
Among the 24% who did have a baseline of understanding for the bill, the majority had an overwhelmingly favorable opinion of the legislation (50% vs 33%).
Heck…. 42% of Americans don’t even know Obamacare became law!! — Kind of makes you realize why Obama was re-elected, huh!!
Posted by: THELOYALOPPOSITION | May 1, 2013, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Benghazi mastermind walking FREELY in Libya
The confirmation from multiple sources comes more than seven months after the assault on two U.S. locations in Benghazi, Libya, where four Americans — including Ambassador Chris Stevens — were killed. President Obama pledged after the attack that “justice will be done.”
Sources say Obama administration sitting on info
Whistle blowers terrorized by Obama administration???????????????????????????
Posted by: Yep I said that | May 1, 2013, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
Benghazi mastermind walking FREELY in Libya
The confirmation from multiple sources
Posted by: Yep I said that | May 1, 2013, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
What multiple sources?
Posted by: Jersey | May 1, 2013, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
They know that like the1986 bill promises will not be kept. obama will continue to not enforce border control and we will get even more illegals. In the end all of these illegals will get American citizenship even though they broke the law. What else do we need to know?
Posted by: Perplexed | May 1, 2013, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
obama will continue to not enforce border control
Posted by: Perplexed | May 1, 2013, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
He’s done a far better job than the last president. The bulk of the people who crossed the border illegally did so under Bush.
Posted by: Chester | May 1, 2013, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
lol, this is going to be like taking candy from a baby. ObamaCare is going to be Barack Hussein’s Iraq. The immigration bill is going to be the Democrats’ amnesty bill. Barack Hussein’s budget is going to be his privatization bill. I’m sure some Senatorial Democrat is going to pull a Jim Senssenbrenner (who’s it going to be: Dianne Feinstein? Or Patrick Lahey?) and alienate some segment of the population from the Democrats forever, and all we have to do is wait for a Democratic Mark Foley to happen and we’re going to wipe them out (electorally, of course) in 2014 and 2016, PUMA!
Posted by: Clintoncrat for Palin | May 1, 2013, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
From what I have read it is bad, they do not secure the border, in which they are coming across in droves now that they have a chance at amnesty and getting on all our free giveaways. It is not just poor Hispanics crossing to find a job either…The IRS has admitted that illegals are claiming large amounts of children to get huge refunds, of course the children are in Mexico…It’s not like the government has a good track record of tracking people, 20% of foreign students never show up to school, and the government has no clue where they are…no thanks, it’s not like our unemployment is zero, we have no debt and our economy is booming. Don’t let them stuff these down our throats like they did Obamacare.
Posted by: Freedom | May 1, 2013, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
Don’t let them stuff these down our throats like they did Obamacare.
Posted by: Freedom | May 1, 2013, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
What are the provisions of the proposed bill?
Posted by: Dave | May 1, 2013, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
Possibly because most news reports — like this one — don’t include anything except poll numbers and personality puffs. Perhaps a story about a lack of knowledge about the issue might consider doing something about that. Just a thought.
Posted by: Don | May 1, 2013, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
I took a look at the bill. Too much bureaucratic gobbledygook to wade through. Only someone with an excess of time and perseverance could ferret out the requirements in that bill. I used to write regulations and laws, this law was written to obfuscate the issue. Who knows what will be hidden in this law, better pass it so we can find out what is in it.
Posted by: ztarbod | May 1, 2013, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
Most Americans really don’t care , all they care about is bashing the president. Most are uninformed and believe everything they see on the Internet or read in the papers. It’s really sad..it’s the right against the left, instead of trying to get the real facts and take each issue on it’s own. Kinda like Congress, the GOP, if Pres. Obama wants one thing they say no no no since day one. And we wonder why we have so many problems?
Posted by: Barb | May 1, 2013, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
CHESTER: I agree…that is why we have so many problems..all the illegals…does anyone really think they just walked in yesterday? They have been here for many many years and yes under Bush..who after 9/11 had Rumsfeld announced our borders were too large to be guarded…nice, tell everyone come on in…no problem! And esp. after 9/11 our troops should have been on our borders, not Iraq…Now we have all these problems and suddenly it’s all Obama’s fault!
Posted by: Barb | May 1, 2013, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
ABC please do the honor of informing the American people of the traitorous act the congress are considering.
Posted by: Ted | May 1, 2013, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
Who is “Immigration Bill”? I never heard of him.
Posted by: buzzo | May 1, 2013, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
Most bills, most of us have no idea about. That’s because they hide and bury so much stuff in them, who in the hell would know? This doesn’t surprise me whatsoever.
Posted by: greennnnnn | May 1, 2013, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
Many Americans will be very angry to find out that the Senate Immigration Reform bill does nothing to stop illegal immigration. The bill provides pork to the Senators and panders to special interest groups at the expense of the US taxpayer.
Posted by: Galactus98 | May 1, 2013, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
I KNOW THIS:
• Implicit in the 1986 immigration reform was that once that AMNESTY was “done,” it would “solve” the problem—combine a unique act of mercy with a lasting enforcement structure.
The late Senator and drunken murderer Ted Kennedy made this point explicit. He grandly proclaimed in 1986: “We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another Amnesty bill like this.”
How did Ted’s promise work out?
I KNOW THIS:
Since 2010, Senator Marco Rubio has made an about-face on his campaign promise not to support amnesty. Just one month prior to being elected, Rubio commented that an, “Earned path to citizenship is basically code for amnesty,” and criticized the 1986 amnesty law.
Two years later, Rubio has become the public face of a “bi-partisan” plan to grant amnesty to 11-12 million illegal aliens in the country.
Rubio, along with the other 7 ‘Gang Members’, are pathological liars – tell these traitors to SHOVE AMNESTY
Amnesty Will COST U.S. Taxpayers at Least $2.6 Trillion
I KNOW THIS:
Visa Violators Arrested for Helping Boston Bomb Suspects
See immigrationreform_com
PLEASE VISIT THESE SITES BELOW :
see NumbersUSA, Fair.org, Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) and Heritage.org for additional information on the impact and TRILLIONs of DOLLARs of cost on the United States. YOU WILL NOT READ ANYHING ACCUATE ON IMMIGRATION IN THE DAILY PROPAGANDA PUT OUT BY THE MSM.
Posted by: Stan | May 1, 2013, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
I would add that it is unlikely that the senate knows much about the bill either. After all, don’t they have to vote in a bill so they can find out what’s in it?
Posted by: dooran | May 1, 2013, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm
“When it comes to immigration reform, most Americans don’t know much about it and few think the Boston bombing should be a factor in the debate.”
and
“Among the 24% who did have a baseline of understanding for the bill, the majority had an overwhelmingly favorable opinion of the legislation (50% vs 33%).”
Boy, that kind of spinning would make the Whirling Dervisshes turn green with envy.
Just like thatmythical 90% who approved of background checks.
It would be great to have back the old media, who were suspicious of every party, reported only the facts and didn’t become echo chambers of the liberals. Ah, perchance to dream!
Posted by: oatka | May 1, 2013, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
Most Representatives in Washington don’t know much about the Immigration Bill.
President Anti-Lincoln knows even less than they do.
Posted by: Noz | May 1, 2013, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
Oh, and the 47% know less than nothing about it.
Posted by: Noz | May 1, 2013, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
The Pew survey shows that the public has been confused and brainwashed by the obfuscations of politicians and promoters of tearing down the border and allowing a flood of criminals into the US.
Criminals? If they entered the US without following legal requirements and without required documents, what are they? Just because they hid in the general population for so many years does not make them legal residents.
Most Nazis who entered the U.S. illegally were guilty of lying on their applications to hide their backgrounds, but they followed the rules. Their lies got them deported. And those who did not even bother to go through the motions?
Posted by: Walter Duranty | May 1, 2013, 5:13 pm 5:13 pm
The people don’t know what’s in the Immigration Bill because the mainstream news media can’t be believed. In fact, I don’t think the news media knows what is really in the Bill. They really don’t hire journalists who are intelligent enough to understand it. And the politician don’t understand it as they aren’t much smarter than a journalist.
Posted by: dd | May 1, 2013, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
Most americans don’t know much about immigration bill?
Tis a shame. If only there was some group of people, some type of organization, dedicated to informing the citizenry with the facts of an issue presented in an easily understanable format to explain things.
Oh well.
Posted by: mike | May 1, 2013, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
Most Americans know little about any subject of consequence, hence the person occupying the White House
Posted by: Mike | May 1, 2013, 5:21 pm 5:21 pm
Thanks to the disinformation by the news media including ABC.
Posted by: Dale Liston | May 1, 2013, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Most Americans recognize that the laws necessary to enforce the border and combat ILLEGAL immigration are already on the books. Ergo: No new law needed. All that is needed is for the POTUS to honor his oath to enforce the existing federal laws. In the case of Obama, though, honoring his oath has never been an option.
Posted by: Mark Arnold | May 1, 2013, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
Most Americans understand that our borders and laws are being set aside for political gain.
Posted by: Arx Ferrum | May 1, 2013, 5:27 pm 5:27 pm