District-wide survey yields more than 12,000 responses
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ constituents who responded to a survey support a get-tough approach to border security and penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.
The survey results also show a majority want a permanent Border Patrol checkpoint and a temporary worker program that allows migrants to apply for citizenship.
The survey was sent by Giffords to 137,000 households in her 8th Congressional District. More than 12,000 people completed the survey. Although the results are not scientific, Giffords said she was pleased with the return rate of nearly nine percent.
"The incredible volume of responses is a clear indication of how strongly my constituents feel about this issue," said Giffords. "The Tucson Sector is the most porous section of the entire US-Mexico Border: 48 percent of all drug traffic and 44 percent of all illegal human traffic that crosses the border enters through the Tucson Sector. More than 1,000 illegal immigrants and nearly 2,800 pounds of narcotics are smuggled through this region every day. Countless people are dying in the desert. My constituents have had enough of it and the survey results reflect their frustration. Southern Arizonans want the federal government to secure our border."
The survey shows that 72 percent of respondents support permanent checkpoints and more than 85 percent support boosting the number of border agents and improving technology to keep illegal immigrants from entering the United States.
Slightly more than half the respondents support a temporary worker program that allows immigrants to work in the U.S. and offers them an opportunity to apply for citizenship after meeting certain requirements. Nearly 60 percent support a temporary worker program that allows immigrants to work in the U.S. and then requires them to return to their home country.
Complete survey results are below. Percentages are followed by the actual number of responses in parenthesis.
Surveys Mailed: 137,000
Surveys Entered: 12,076
Response Rate: 8.81%
Do you support enforcing the laws that penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants?
Yes: 84.8% (10,241) No: 13.0% (1,573) No Response: 2.2% (262)
Do you support a temporary worker program that allows immigrants to work in the U.S. and offers them an opportunity to apply for citizenship after meeting certain requirements?
Yes: 51.5% (6,220) No: 45.1% (5,444) No Response: 3.4% (412)
Do you support a temporary worker program that allows immigrants to work in the U.S. and then requires them to return to their home country?
Yes: 59.6% (7,197) No: 35.8% (4,329) No Response: 4.6% (550)
Do you support increasing the number of border agents and improving technology to keep illegal immigrants from entering the U.S.?
Yes: 85.3% (10,305) No: 12.9% (1,556) No Response: 1.8% (215)
Do you support giving local law enforcement the power to arrest and deport illegal immigrants for trespassing?
Yes: 79.4% (9,592) No: 18.3% (2,204) No Response: 2.3% (280)
Do you support building a fence along the Mexican border?
Yes: 58.8% (7,095) No: 37.3% (4,508) No Response: 3.9% (473)
Do you support permanent border checkpoints in Southern Arizona?
Yes: 72.0% (8,697) No: 22.6% (2,735) No Response: 5.3% (644)
Do you feel the effects of illegal immigration in your daily life?
Yes: 70.2% (8,483) No: 26.0% (3,135) No Response: 3.8% (458)