Ohioans say loud and clear: "What part of illegal don't you understand!"

Via a recent Quinnipiac University Poll (emphasis added):

Ohio voters oppose 84 - 11 percent issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and by large margins favor building a fence along the Mexican-U.S. border and creating a national ID card for all legal residents and citizens. They also oppose, 61 - 35 percent, providing a free public education to children of those in the United States illegally, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.


Illegal immigrants in the U.S. should be allowed to work to apply for legal status, 55 percent of Ohio voters say, while 38 percent say they should be deported. By seven-to-one margins, voters oppose giving illegal immigrants access to government health insurance or social services such as welfare or food stamps, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.


"Immigration may be an issue that divides voters in some parts of the country, but not in Ohio where public opinion is very firmly opposed to efforts that would make it easier for illegal aliens to become part of American society," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Although Ohio voters don't favor deporting illegal immigrants already here, they firmly oppose providing incentives for them to stay."...

...By a 67 - 19 percent margin, Ohio voters think illegal immigrants do more to hurt than help the United States, but voters believe 73 - 18 percent that legal immigrants help the country.


Ohio voters say 53 - 34 percent that illegal immigrants take jobs nobody wants, rather than jobs Americans need.


In general, voters favor tougher measures to deal with illegal immigration:

• They favor 82 - 12 percent stricter penalties on employers who hire illegal workers;
• In addition to the 84 - 11 percent margin against issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, voters oppose 75 - 17 percent issuing limited driver's licenses that could not be used for things like getting on airplanes or crossing borders;
• They support 61 - 32 percent the government issuing a tamper proof identification card to all those living in America legally; By 60 - 34 percent, voters say build a fence along the U.S.- Mexican border;
• By margins of 86 - 11 percent and 85 - 12 percent respectively, they oppose providing illegal immigrants with government-financed health care and with social services such as welfare and food stamps.

"The message to presidential candidates from Ohio, perhaps the most important swing state in the Electoral College, is that voters - be they Democrats, Republicans or independents - are very frustrated with illegal immigration and come down on the side of toughness rather than accommodation," Brown said...

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