Published: March 31, 2006
Immigration Solution
New Polling Data Proves Need for Comprehensive Approach
Denver, CO-A new national poll released today by the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation shows an overwhelming majority of Americans believe controlling U.S. borders requires a better system for handling foreign guest workers.
The survey of 800 Americans of both parties was conducted March 14-16 by Public Opinion Strategies. Among other findings, it shows that by an astounding margin of 78% to 16% Americans agree with the statement, "It is not possible to have absolute border control without a better system for handling guest workers."
Similarly, a majority (51%-41%) believe a better guest worker system would do more to ensure border security than increasing law enforcement. "We have said for years that our country desperately needs to find a better way of handling guest workers," said Helen Krieble, president of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation. "We have published a plan that would do exactly that. As a result, border control would be easier because the vast majority of people now crossing the border illegally wouldn't be there if we had a safe, practical legal guest worker system."
The foundation's plan is based on privatizing the day-to-day operation of the program, because private companies are more efficient than government agencies and can run instant background checks to ensure that guest workers issued permits for temporary work in the U.S. are law-abiding people, and that they in fact have jobs. The poll also shows overwhelming support (91%-8%) for elements of the Krieble plan that would require criminal background checks, and smart cards with encoded biometric data on workers.
"Congress remains deadlocked on this issue because one side wants border control only, and the other side insists on an unworkable guest worker program that most Americans view as amnesty for law-breakers," Krieble said. "Neither approach will work, but Congress must act to solve the problem. The presence of millions of illegals in this country, and the unchecked flow of thousands more every month is not safe for our national security, and it's not smart for our economy. There is a much simpler and better way to do this."
The Vernon K. Krieble Foundation is a non-profit public policy foundation based in Colorado. It's immigration proposal and the complete polling data is available at
www.krieble.org.
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