Survey Shows Voters Back Federal Crackdown on Illegal Hires

By Mike Sunnucks
The Business Journal of Phoenix

A new survey shows a majority of Arizona voters back a Bush administration plan to crack down on employers that hire illegal immigrants.

The Arizona State University/KAET-TV poll shows 69 percent of state voters surveyed back federal rules requiring businesses to verify the legal status of workers and to take corrective action including dismissal of workers with invalid Social Security numbers. The new federal rules also increase fines for companies caught hiring illegals knowingly.

Twenty-one percent of those surveyed said they oppose the White House effort.

The poll also shows U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton leading among Democrats in a potential 2008 presidential primary. U.S. Sen. John McCain, has a narrow lead among Republicans in his home state with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and actor Fred Thompson close behind.

But few voters think those leading presidential candidates share their values, according to the survey. Thirteen percent of those surveyed said Clinton shared their values; 7 percent said the same for McCain and U.S. Sen. Barack Obamba; 6 percent thought Romney was allied with their values; and 3 percent said Giuliani and Thompson shared their sentiments.

In potential head-to-head White House matchups, the poll shows McCain, Giuliani, Thompson and Romney all leading Clinton in Arizona.

From: The Business Journal of Phoenix (www.bizjournals.com)