The Obama administration announced yesterday that it is spending $9 million to provide lawyers for some of the young undocumented immigrants who came across the border earlier this year, but voters strongly believe these immigrants should not have access to the same legal rights U.S. citizens do, according to Rasmussen Reports on Wednesday.
The latest national telephone survey from the organization finds that 68 percent of likely U.S. voters say the new illegal immigrants should not have the same legal rights and protections that U.S. citizens have. Just 19 percent disagree and 13 percent are not sure.
And 71 percent say these undocumented newcomers should not be eligible for government services and benefits, while 16 percent believe they are entitled to government aid. Still, 13 percent were unsure.
The availability of government money and services draws illegal immigrants to the United States, according to 63 percent of responders. This government assistance is not a magnet for illegal immigration, says 21 percent of responder, but 15 percent are undecided. These views have changed very little from early March 2010 when the survey was first posed.
This year's wave of illegal immigrants has been moved by the federal government to their state, according to 38 percent of voters. Only 15 percent say their state hasn't received any of these illegals, but 46 percent, nearly half, of voters don't know. The administration refuses to make public where these people are being moved to and, in many cases, is not telling local and state authorities beforehand.
Just 29 percent of survey responders approve of housing these new Americans in their state. Only 34 percent think the administration needs to release locations of where the illegal immigrants are going to the public, but a plurality (47%) believes it should get the approval of elected officials in a state before moving them there.
