(Credit: Survey USA, screenshot)

IMEDIAETHICS METHODOLOGY FOR IMMIGRATION SURVEY

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Geography Surveyed: USA 50 States

Data Collected: 04/13/2013 – 04/16/2013

Immigration: 896 adults nationwide were interviewed by SurveyUSA Saturday 04/13/13 through Tuesday 04/16/13. Research, conceptualized and commissioned by iMediaEthics.org, was conducted using blended sample mixed mode, as follows: Adults reachable on a home telephone (68% of respondents) were interviewed on their home telephone in the recorded voice of a professional announcer. The youngest-male method of respondent selection was used on these landline calls. Respondents unreachable on a home telephone (32% of respondents), were shown a questionnaire on their smartphone, tablet or other electronic device. Landline sample provided by SSI of Fairfield CT. Non-landline sample provided by United Sample. Responses were minimally weighted to U.S. Census targets for gender, age, race and region. Each respondent was randomly assigned at the time of the interview to one of two different paths through the survey; depending on the path, respondents heard slightly different question wording. SurveyUSA assigns to each question within the instrument a theoretical margin of sampling error, but such error is useful only in theory, and though commonly cited in the presentation of research results, sampling error is only one of many types of error that may influence the outcome of an opinion research study. More practical concerns include the inability to contact some, the refusal of others to be interviewed and the inability of still others to speak the language. It is difficult to quantify non-sampling errors.

IMEDIAETHICS TOPLINE FOR IMMIGRATION SURVEY(April 13-16, 2013) (N=896; MOE=+/-4%)

Q1    How closely have you followed the recent discussion of proposed immigration reform  legislation?

%
35    Very closely
38    Somewhat closely
15    Not too closely
10    Not at all closely
1    Not sure

Q2    Which comes closer to your view about how to handle immigrants who live in the United States illegally?  They SHOULD be allowed to stay in the country, if they have otherwise obeyed the law; They should NOT be allowed to stay in the country;  Or don’t you have an opinion either way? [ROTATED RESPONSES]

%
55    Should be allowed to stay if they otherwise obeyed the law
39    Should NOT be allowed to stay
6     No opinion

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS BASED ON ORIGINAL RESPONSE:

Q3    Suppose the Congress DID pass a law that allowed illegal immigrants, who have otherwise obeyed the law, to stay in the country. Would you be very upset, somewhat upset, not too upset, or not upset at all?

Q4    Suppose the Congress passed a law that did NOT allow illegal immigrants, who have otherwise obeyed the law, to stay in the country? Would you be very upset, somewhat upset, not too upset, or not upset at all?

Q5    Do you LEAN toward NOT allowing illegal immigrants to stay or to ALLOWING them stay?

Q2    COMBINED RESPONSES, INCLUDING FOLLOW-UP, ON WHETHER IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAY (“Upset” = “very” or “somewhat” upset; “Not Upset” = “not too upset” or “not at upset at all”)

%
34    Should be allowed to stay – upset if they are not allowed to stay
21    Should be allowed to stay – not upset if they are not allowed to stay
2    Lean toward allowing to stay
3    No opinion
1    Lean toward not allowing to stay
5    Should not be allowed to stay – not upset if they are allowed to stay
34    Should not be allowed to stay – upset if they are allowed to stay

Q6    If illegal immigrants, who have otherwise obeyed the law, ARE allowed to stay in this country, should they be able to apply for U.S. citizenship, or should they be allowed to apply ONLY for permanent U.S. residency – or doesn’t it matter to you either way? [FIRST TWO RESPONSES ROTATED]

%
39    Should be allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship
43    Should be allowed to apply ONLY for permanent U.S. residency
18    Doesn’t matter either way/no opinion

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS BASED ON ORIGINAL RESPONSE:

Q7    If illegal immigrants who have otherwise obeyed the law are NOT allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship, but only permanent legal residency, would you be very upset, somewhat upset, not too upset, or not upset at all?

Q8    If illegal immigrants who have otherwise obeyed the law ARE allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship and not just legal residency, would you be very upset, somewhat upset, not too upset, or not upset at all?

Q9     Do you lean toward either – allowing immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship, or to apply ONLY for permanent residency?

Q6    COMBINED RESPONSES, INCLUDING FOLLOW-UP, ON WHETHER IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR U.S. CITIZENSHIP

%
21    Should be allowed to apply for U.S. Citizenship – upset if not allowed
18    Should be allowed to apply for U.S. Citizenship – not upset if not allowed
6    Doesn’t matter—but lean toward allowing U.S. Citizenship
7    Doesn’t matter/no opinion/doesn’t lean either direction
5    Doesn’t matter—but lean toward Permanent Residency Only
17    Should not be allowed to apply for U.S. Citizenship—not upset if allowed
26    Should not be allowed to apply for U.S. Citizenship—upset if allowed

Q10    Do you think the U.S. border security is strong enough now to justify immigration reform, or do you think border security has to be stronger before immigration reform can be adopted – or are you unsure?  [FIRST TWO RESPONSES ROTATED]

Q11    Do you feel that strongly, or not strongly?

%
15    Strong enough now – feel strongly about that
7    Strong enough now – don’t feel strongly about that
14    No opinion
11    Needs to be stronger – don’t feel strongly about that
52    Needs to be stronger – feel strongly about that

DEMOS

Gender
%
49    Male
51    Female

Race
%
67    White
12    Black
14    Hispanic
7    Asian

Education
%
20    High school or less
35    Some college
45    College graduate

Income
%
32    Less than $40K per year
38    $40K to $80K
30    $80K +

How Frequently Attend Religious Services
%
35    Weekly
14    Several time per month
28    Occasionally
23    Never

Region
%
17    Northeast
22    Midwest
38    South
23    West

Age
%
23    18-29
26    30-45
28    46-60
23    61+

Party
%
41    Republican (including independents who lean Republican)
20    Independent – no lean
39    Democrat (including independents who lean Democratic)

Ideology
%
14    Very conservative
24    Conservative
38    Moderate
13    Liberal
7    Very liberal
4    No answer