A significant majority of Americans say that incoming illegal immigrants should not be given the same legal rights or government benefits as U.S. citizens have, a new poll has found.
According to a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted Sept. 29-30 of 1,000 likely voters, 68 percent are against granting newcomers legal rights compared to just 19 percent who would support it.
The poll also found that 71 percent believe undocumented immigrants should not be eligible for government benefits or services, while 16 percent disagree.
"The Obama administration yesterday announced that it is spending $9 million to provide lawyers for some of the young illegal immigrants who flooded across the border earlier this year, but voters strongly believe these illegal immigrants do not have the same legal rights U.S. citizens do," the organization said in a statement.
The results hold across party lines, though Republicans are more opposed than Democrats to granting rights and benefits to illegal immigrants.
Specifically, 89 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of independents say illegal immigrants should not have the same legal rights and protections enjoyed by U.S. citizens. Forty-nine percent of Democrats agree.
On the question of providing illegal immigrants with government benefits, 91 percent of Republicans oppose it, as do 75 percent of independent voters. By comparison 51 percent of Democrats oppose making illegal immigrants eligible for government services and benefits.
Meanwhile, 63 percent of those surveyed think the availability of benefits and services provided by the government serves to attract illegal immigrants to the United States, compared to 21 percent who disagree.
The poll also found that just 29 percent of voters are in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to be relocated to their state, and 47 percent believe the Obama administration should get the approval of state officials before making plans to relocate migrants.
Overall, 47 percent of Americans think the Obama administration has handled the influx of undocumented children into the country poorly, compared to 30 percent of voters who believe the administration has done a good or excellent job.
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