Survey of Our Website Users Finds Overwhelming Enthusiastic Support for Lamar Smith’s E-Verify Bill

During vigorous discussion in the Comments sections of our website, readers have suggested that we poll NumbersUSA faxers on their assessment of Rep. Lamar Smith’s national mandatory E-Verify bill (H.R. 2164).

So, we emailed a survey to NumbersUSA’s million-plus faxers early this week.  The results show overwhelmingly enthusiastic support for Lamar Smith’s Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 2164).  Although we expected something like that result, we were gratified to learn that nearly all of you seem to agree with our all-out, top-priority effort to move this bill as the legislative vehicle through the House this summer and the Senate this fall and into law.  (Perfecting amendments will be considered in the House Judiciary Committee this month and then on the House floor.)

Of the tens of thousands of returned surveys thus far, about 85% say they “strongly support” the bill to open up jobs currently held by millions of Illegal aliens so they can be filled by unemployed Americans. 

And 96% say they either “strongly” or “generally” support the bill.

Concerns about the bill showed up among 2% who support the bill but “with reservations,” 1% who are “undecided due to concerns” and less than 1% who “oppose” the bill.

A large percentage of our most active members previously have taken an Interest Survey that allows us to know if they are Democrats or Republicans (and if they identify with the Tea Party, regardless of Party affiliation). Thus, we are able to see if there are any significant differences depending on political philosophy and affiliation. The answer is “not much.”  The main difference is that the more-active website users are slightly more enthusiastic about the bill than the less-active users of “unknown” political affiliation.  (But when combining “strong” and “general” support, there is virtually no difference among the groups.)

ATTITUDE TOWARD ‘LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT’ (H.R. 2164)

Affiliation
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
Tea Party
Unknown Affiliation

All

Strongly Support
86%
89%
91%
82%
85%

Strongly OR Generally Support
97%
98%
98%
95%
96%

Support w/reservations, Undecided w/concerns, or Oppose
3%
2%
2%
5%
4%

As with any survey, it is important to know what we think we learned and what we didn’t.  We did not ask any questions about potential amendments to the bill.  Just like Members of Congress who co-sponsor a bill or organizations like NumbersUSA which endorse a bill, I believe, citizen activists expressing support for the bill in our survey were not necessarily saying they like every provision of the bill but that they believe the overall bill is a great legislative vehicle to move forward.

Just under two-thirds of respondents  said they already knew the two most important features of H.R. 2164:

NEW HIRES: All governments and many private employers are required to run new hires through E-Verify after six months, and 99% of new hires are required to be E-Verified after two years.

EXISTING EMPLOYEES: Existing federal computers and databases will identify illegal aliens currently working on fake, expired or stolen Social Security numbers and order them fired.

NumbersUSA — through blogs, alerts and comments from readers on our website — has provided a constant stream of information about the bill and questions about the bill. Most of you say you have relied on us as your primary source on H.R. 2164, and we will continue to take this responsibility seriously. About 20% of you say your primary source is other websites, other emails or the news media.

We have been up-front in our support of the overall bill but from the beginning have noted that some opponents of illegal immigration have been concerned about the role the bill allows states and localities in helping the federal government enforce immigration laws.  We will continue to address that and other issues as the bill works through the amendment process over the next month.

Thanks to all of you who returned surveys and for all the work you are going to do over the next months to pass what likely will be the most important law against illegal immigration ever.

ROY BECK is the CEO & Founder of NumbersUSA