Solution to Illegal Immigration: Government Should Outsource Finding Illegal Immigrants to a Polling Company

Private enterprise comes to the rescue again. This time it was able to track down 1,600 illegal immigrants in 10 days that our government has not be able to find and deport. The LA Times is reporting that a Poll says immigrants would heed bill (emphasis added):

WASHINGTON — In the first-ever public opinion poll of illegal immigrants, an overwhelming majority said they are intently following the Senate immigration debate and would comply with a proposed bill that would require them to pay fees and fines, undergo background checks and pass English exams to gain legal status.

The survey of 1,600 undocumented Latin American adults, done by telephone in Spanish, also found that there are limits to the hurdles illegal immigrants are willing to clear in exchange for the bill's "Z visa," which would offer a renewable legal status and could lead to citizenship. More than a quarter said they would not apply for legal status if it meant returning to their home country to pick up the new visa — a provision that may still be included in the bill.

The respondents' willingness to return home in order to receive a legal permanent resident visa, a step toward citizenship, depended on whether their return to the U.S. would be guaranteed. If it were, 85% said they would do so.

"This is a debate that is going to affect 12 million people, and up until now, no one has known what they're thinking," said Maria Cardona, a spokeswoman for New America Media, the nation's largest association of ethnic news media and the poll's sponsor.

"This poll gives us the voice of the undocumented immigrant who is going to be affected by this, and it gives policymakers an important insight to the practicality of the bill they're discussing."

The poll, conducted June 9-19 by Bendixen & Associates, a nonpartisan public opinion research firm, and released to The Times, comes as the Senate prepares to resume debate on immigration...