Washington Voters Want Sensible Solutions

A recent poll of registered voters in Washington State found that year after year Washington voters overwhelmingly support sensible solutions when it comes to immigration reform. Data shows that support for deportation-only strategies have minimal support and that guest worker-only programs have fallen in favor by six points since 2006. On the other hand, support for earned citizenship has grown by eight points since 2006.

There is clear support across party lines for an earned path to citizenship with about 58 percent of Democrats supporting a path and an additional 8.3 percent supporting a less stringent legalization program. Approximately 45 percent of Republicans support an earned path to citizenship and an additional 2 percent supporting a less stringent legalization program, while 48 percent of Independents support a path to citizenship with an additional 6.1 percent supporting a broader legalization program.

The Washington Poll, which polls on many current issues, suggests a critical lesson for moving forward: immigration reform may not be as divisive as health care reform was. The Puget Sound-Eastern Washington divide is well known as a significant political divide. For example, Puget Sound and Eastern WA residents differ 25 percentage points in percent of residents that approve of health care reform. However, residents on both sides of the mountains (53-44) are more likely to choose a path to earned citizenship than other policy solutions when it comes to fixing our broken immigration system. However, Arizona’s SB 1070 does have a distinct geographical divide (19 points), suggesting that the time is now to move forward with sensible solutions and away from rhetoric and politics that  are used to divide our country and state.

Arizona’s SB 1070 has highlighted the moral urgency of immigration reform and demonstrated the heavy cost of federal inaction. While some question the support for immigration reform if approval of SB 1070 is high, a closer look reveals that voters support federal action on immigration reform.
About 52 percent of Washington voters approve of Arizona’s law with 42 percent disapproving. There is a strong partisan divide on SB 1070. Democrats strongly oppose SB 1070 with about 67 percent disapproving. However, 80 percent of Republicans approve of SB 1070.

Washingtonians stand strongly against racial profiling regardless of their stance on SB 1070. Approximately 91 percent of those who disapprove of SB 1070 and 74 percent of those who approve of SB 1070 say it is wrong to stop someone based on race or ethnicity.

Behind differing views of the AZ law, data reveals Washington voters want sensible solutions. Washington voters think the best way to fix our broken immigration system and move our country forward is to provide a path to earned citizenship for the undocumented.

Note: 2 percent undecided.

Note: 4 percent undecided.

A closer look at where voters stand on SB 1070 reveals that regardless of their opposition or support of SB 1070 the majority think that undocumented immigrants should be allowed to remain in the United States and become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements like working and paying back taxes over a period of time. Washington voters’ desire for sensible policy is in line with the immigration reform proposal released this April from Senators Schumer, Leahy, Durbin, Feinstein, and Menendez earlier and the comprehensive immigration reform bill, CIR ASAP, introduced in the House of Representatives last November by Representatives Gutierrez and Ortiz.

This new poll clearly demonstrates that there is strong and growing support from Washington’s voters for immigration reform. At actions at the GOP offices and Seattle’s federal building OneAmerica has asked loud and clear to our elected officials: Which Way Forward—Racial Profiling or Immigration Reform? The Washington Poll from University of Washington political scientists Dr. Matt Barreto and Dr. Christopher Parker provides a timely answer. Washington voters want sensible solutions to immigration that include an earned path to citizenship and do not promote racial profiling.