Republicans Need to Secure the Vote of Americans Here Legally

Republican lawmakers need to wake up! Those who are steering to the left by siding with Democrats on immigration are going to steer themselves straight into the unemployment line.

The Democrats are playing this game perfectly. They know that if illegal immigrants are given amnesty and become U.S. citizens, Democrats will have a new and permanent voting block of 12 million voters. Evidently, some Republicans think that by siding with our left-wing friends, they can secure a certain percentage of that voting block for themselves. They had better think again.

The Democrats are really good at this. They champion programs that supposedly help the poor, captivating their hearts and minds and creating a dependable Democratic voting block, when in reality, these programs create government dependency, virtually insuring continued poverty and the opportunity to champion still more programs, and the cycle continues. Yes, the Democrats are really good at this.

Republicans are not going to secure a significant percentage of these votes, but they could significantly help themselves if they would listen to the American people – the ones who are here legally, I mean.

Nearly every poll taken shows that the American people want the government to get tough on illegal immigration, going all the way back to a 1993 Time/CNN poll where 80% said they considered it important for the federal government to track down illegal aliens living the United States.

More recently, a Time Magazine poll taken in January of this year found that 75% of those polled favor "major penalties" on employers of illegals, 70 percent believe illegals increase the likelihood of terrorism and 57 percent would use military force at the Mexican-American border.

A Quinnipiac University poll taken in February asked, "How serious a problem is illegal immigration into the United States: a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem, not too serious a problem, or not a problem at all?" Fifty seven percent said very serious while 31% said somewhat serious. So 88% saw the problem as either "very" or "somewhat" serious." In the same poll, 62% opposed making it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, 54% opposed making it easier for illegal immigrants to become legal workers, 72% opposed allowing illegal immigrants to get drivers' licenses, and 84% supported requiring proof of legal residency in order to obtain government benefits."

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted in March should be of great interest to lawmakers. When asked, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a candidate who favors tighter controls on illegal immigration," 71% said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who favors tighter controls on illegal immigration.

Republicans are not going to win a large percentage of that voting block that consists of those protesting in cities across America. However, if Republicans would have the courage to take care of the problem of illegal immigration, they could secure the support of American citizens who believe in the rule of law – a pretty large voting block in its own right.