Poll: Pennsylvanians Overwhelmingly Support Immigration Reform
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the debate over immigration reform rages on in the US Senate, a new poll released today suggests there's overwhelming support for the proposal here in Pennsylvania.
Conducted across 29 states, the polls shows two-thirds of Pennsylvanians want immigration reform and support the bill as its currently written, says Natasha Kelemen executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.
"This is a bill that would secure our borders, block employers from hiring undocumented immigrants and make sure that undocumented immigrants that are already in the US already have a path to citizenship," says Kelemen.
She says 550 Pennsylvanians were polled in early June and 86 percent say they want reforms in place this year, with 57 percent saying they'd vote for a lawmaker who helped pass the legislation.
"There is a mandate from the American public in support of this legislation," she says. "This is a very important reminder to our legislators, especially our senators, that they need to vote yes on this bill."
Kelemen says results are similar across the states polled. The effort was sponsored by the Alliance for Citizenship, Partnership for a New Economy and Republicans for Immigration Reform.
