Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are counting on riding a wave in the 2018 midterms.
They believe the Trump agenda is deeply unpopular and voters’ anger will carry Democrats to victory.
But a new poll stopped Chuck Schumer dead in his tracks.
Donald Trump held an event at the White House where he endorsed the RAISE Act.
The bill would institute pro-American immigration reforms such as moving towards a skill- based system, cutting the number of immigrants accepted and making speaking English an immigration requirement.
Trump and the authors of the legislation – Senators David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas – contend immigrants depress the wages of American workers and this bill will give American born workers a chance to compete fairly for jobs and increase their wages.
Democrats howled that the bill was racist and assumed it was deeply unpopular with Americans.
They thought they could run against this legislation in the2018 midterms and make gains in Congress.
A new poll shows that is not the case.
A Politico/Morning Consult poll revealed the provisions of Trump’s immigration bill were popular.
Politico reported:
“Majorities back limiting the number of refugees offered permanent residency (58 percent) and establishing a “points system” that would award points based on criteria such as education, English proficiency and prospective salary in the U.S. (60 percent).
Support for some of the other provisions in the bill isn’t as strong but still exceeds opposition. Forty-eight percent of voters support reducing the number of legal immigrants by half over the next decade, compared to 39 percent who oppose that. On what Miller called “unlimited family chain migration,” 45 percent support ending the ability for U.S. citizens and permanent residents to petition to get extended family members green cards, while 39 percent oppose ending that.
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.
As for English-language proficiency, 62 percent say it should be a factor in determining who should be allowed to immigrate legally.
“Even the more controversial provisions in this legislation receive support from a plurality of voters,” said Morning Consult co-founder and Chief Research Officer Kyle Dropp. “The reason for this is ostensibly that Republican support is more consolidated than Democratic opposition. For example, 73 percent of Republican voters support reducing the number of legal immigrants, compared to 57 percent of Democrats who oppose that idea.”
Still, the poll shows voters continue to believe in the value of legal immigration. Nearly two-thirds of voters, 66 percent, say legal immigrants “strengthen our country because of their hard work and talents” — more than three times the 20 percent who say that legal immigrants “are a burden on our country because they take our housing, health care and jobs.”
And 39 percent say greater emphasis should be placed on the job skills of an applicant for immigration, just slightly more than the 36 percent who say a greater emphasis should be placed on the applicant’s ties to family in the U.S.”
Democrats and the open-borders donor class have long tried to trick Republicans into accepting unlimited immigration and cheap foreign labor by claiming embracing mass immigration is the only way the GOP can maintain its status as a major party.
But Trump’s election – and this poll – shows Americans want an immigration system that works for the benefit of Americans, and not for the benefit of the donor class or foreigners.
The results of this poll shows the GOP’s path to victory in 2018 is embracing Trump’s agenda.
That’s bad news for Chuck Schumer and the Democrats.
