Commonalities on Illegal Immigration

A new CNN poll on illegal immigration reveals some interesting facts:

• Majorities of Americans in all ethnic groups are either angry or dissatisfied about the number of illegal immigrants in the United States.
• A huge majority of Americans (57%) would rather focus on enforcing immigration laws and deporting illegal immigrants than provide a path to citizenship.
• Americans in all ethnic groups (by almost a supermajority or almost supermajority for each group) believe that opposition to illegal immigration is based on a concern about economic conditions and the laws rather than an animus towards "Latinos."

These numbers show that the attempt by some to recast the issue of illegal immigration solely along racial lines has not been entirely successful. They also show that the support of enforcement is a position with broad support. Despite the demagoguery of some activists and political leaders, most Americans---of all stripes---think that this debate is not grounded on racial issues but instead on topics of economic security and respect for the laws.