Sarah Palin Was Right #35: The American Majority on Illegal Immigration

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Sarah Palin has often been praised for her ability to to verbalize a message which resonates with the American people. Of her many statements on the issues of the day, none strikes a more responsive chord perhaps than the former Alaska governor's recent comments on illegal immigration. When she urged U.S. border states this week to emulate Arizona in enacting tough new immigration enforcement laws, it was as if she had her fingers on the pulse of the American electorate:

“Every other state on the border should emulate what Arizona has done. Jan Brewer, the governor of Arizona, has taken it upon herself and the state government to do what the feds should have been doing all along,” Palin said during an interview Wednesday night with Fox Business Network.

“Yes, other states should do what Arizona is doing,” she said.

The day after Gov. Palin's remarks, the results of a survey conducted by Opinion Dynamics for Fox News were released. The opinion poll's findings reveal that voters by a 2-to-1 margin think each state should have the right to formulate its own immigration laws, and a majority would like their own state to emulate Arizona in enacting no-nonsense immigration legislation:

A Fox News poll finds 65 percent of American voters think states should have right to make their own immigration laws and protect their borders "if they believe the federal government has failed to act," while 32 percent disagree. Moreover, a 52 percent majority favors their own state passing a bill similar to Arizona’s new immigration law.

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The key provisions of Arizona's immigration law receive significant support. Over two-thirds (65 percent) favor allowing local authorities to question anyone who they think may be in the country illegally, while 76 percent favor allowing local officials to detain anyone who cannot prove their immigration status.

Fully 84 percent favor requiring people to show documents proving their immigration status, if officials have reasonable cause to ask for them.

The evidence continues to mount that Sarah Palin, perhaps more so than any other public figure, is in perfect harmony with the American people, while President Obama and the Democrat left is sounding a woefully discordant note.

Update: According to the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), 17 states have some form of legislation similar to that of Arizona in various stages of development. The states include Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

- JP