New polling from CNN shows very strong support for the policy behind Obama’s immigration executive action:
President Barack Obama’s policy of halting deportations for the undocumented parents of children born in the U.S. is popular — but his method for implementing it is not.
Only 26% of Americans think Obama’s plan for those immigrants goes too far, while 50% called it about right and 22% said it doesn’t go far enough, according to a CNN/ORC poll out Wednesday of 1,045 adults, conducted Nov. 21-23 and with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
That’s over 70% who support the action or want more, which shows the American people want policies that protect undocumented immigrants. We know that’s where the American people are – and have been for awhile. But, the Republicans in Congress still refuse to act. They’re going to rely on the process argument, thinking that’s their strongest point:
However, when asked for their stance on Obama using an executive order to make those changes, just 41% said they favor the move, while 56% said they oppose it.
Just 16% of Americans are angry about Obama’s immigration move — though another 27% said they are displeased. Nearly one-quarter of Americans say it doesn’t matter, and 41% say they’re pleased or enthusiastic about it.
The GOP is catering, as usual, to that angry 16% – and letting them set their immigration agenda. But, their missing a key point here: Most Americans want results, not bluster.
Support for a GOP lawsuit against Obama over his executive order comes from just 38% of Americans, while 60% say Republicans shouldn’t challenge the move in court.
Instead, 76% said the GOP should spend more time passing immigration reform legislation — something Obama repeatedly prodded his Republican critics, especially in the House, to do — while just 21% said the party should focus on overturning Obama’s policies.
Imagine that. The American people want Congress to do its job. The House can still pass the Senate bill. But, Steve King and Ted Cruz will never let that happen.
Over the next weeks and months, GOP leaders in Congress will be taking all kinds of actions to block Obama’s executive action. They will focus on process arguments and do everything but pass a real reform bill. They’ll use every legislative trick in the book to block the new immigration policy. And, Republicans will try to avoid a discussion about what that means: increased the threat of deportations for DREAMers and parents of U.S. citizen children. Because as much as they want to make this about Obama, it’s actually about those immigrants and their families.
We need to focus on the people who lives benefit and tell their stories. Because, the American people are on their side.