The Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee will be conducting hearings Tuesday on immigration issues, focusing on the economic impacts of immigration.
Americans see a net negative impact of immigration on the economy.
An April 4-5 Fox News/Opinion Dynamic poll also asked Americans whether illegal immigrants "cost the country more because they do not pay taxes and use public services like schools and emergency rooms" or if they "provide more benefits to the nation by doing work many U.S. citizens don't want to do." The results show that 65% of Americans say illegal immigrants cost the country more by not paying taxes and using public services; only about one in five (22%) say they provide more benefits.
A Dec. 9-11, 2005, CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that 60% of Americans said illegal immigrants mostly hurt the economy by driving down wages for many Americans. Thirty-two percent said they mostly help the economy by providing low-cost labor. When this question was asked about legal immigrants, Americans were still negative, but not quite as negative, with 52% saying legal immigrants mostly hurt and 42% mostly help.
But, Americans clearly see some benefits to illegal immigration: All recent polls find agreement that illegal immigrants do not take jobs away from Americans, but rather, take jobs that American workers do not want to do.
- An April 6-9 CBS News poll finds that a slight majority of Americans, 53%, say illegal immigrants coming into the country today mostly take jobs Americans do not want. Thirty-four percent say illegal immigrants take jobs away from American citizens.
- A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, taken April 4-5, finds that 47% of Americans say illegal immigrants are mainly doing low-paying jobs that U.S. citizens do not want; 34% say they are taking away jobs from Americans.
- By a 55% to 35% margin, Americans are more likely to say people who are here illegally are mostly taking jobs that U.S. citizens do not want or cannot do, rather than say these people are taking jobs from citizens, according to a TIME poll conducted March 29-30.
- An AP-Ipsos poll, also conducted in late March, finds an even higher percentage of Americans, 65%, saying illegal immigrants take jobs Americans do not want. Twenty-nine percent said they are taking away jobs wanted by Americans.