WASHINGTON — As Congress debates over immigration and what the public wants, it grows consistently clearer: the American people don't actually know what they want.In a survey done by USA Today, 75% of people agree with common arguments for immigration reform: deportation is not realistic, hard-working immigrants deserve to stay, and that the economy would benefit from their contributions.
However, on the other hand, two-thirds of those polled also agree with the opposition to immigration reform, claiming that government benefits might end up drained and such legislation would encourage others to enter the US illegally.
80% of citizens agree with both sides of the argument, both Republicans and Democrats alike. The arguments for both sides of immigration reform have been made pretty convincingly at this point, and thus it becomes hard to predict the outcome of the immigration reform bills both in the Senate and the House when it comes time to vote.
In some ways, it could make negotiation for both sides easier now that the pressure to please the public is off, but also it stands to make it harder, as both sides can argue that the public is on its side.
Read the entire article on USAToday.com
