Cronkite-Eight Poll

• Support found for Arpaio's posse to stop illegal immigrants from entering Maricopa County

• Minuteman fence on private lands along border supported

TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona's registered voters strongly support President George W. Bush's proposals for immigration reform, according to a new Cronkite/Eight Poll. Eighty-six percent of the voters interviewed favored adding 6,000 new Border Patrol agents, 85 percent supported holding employers accountable for the legal status of the workers they hire, 79 percent favored his proposal for refusing automatic citizenship for undocumented workers, 70 percent supported the use of National Guard troops to help the border patrol and 59 percent supported the creation of a temporary worker program.

The statewide telephone poll of 351 registered voters conducted by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and Eight/KAET-TV also found that a majority (59 percent) of those interviewed supported Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's use of a posse to patrol the county's desert areas for illegal immigrants; 22 percent opposed the use of a patrol and 19 percent said they had no opinion. Although a higher percentage of voters in Maricopa County and the outlying counties (87 percent and 88 percent, respectively) expressed an opinion about Arpaio's use of a patrol than did voters in Pima county (55 percent), there was no significant difference in the level of support among voters with an opinion about the use of a patrol based upon the voter's county of residence.

The poll also found that 54 percent of Arizona voters favored the construction of a fence by the Minutemen, a volunteer border watch group, on private land along the U.S./Mexico border. Thirty-two percent opposed the idea and 14 percent said they had no opinion.

Meanwhile, on another topic, the poll found that Arizona voters are evenly split over the government's use of a database that contains the records of billions of phone calls made by private citizens in order to find terrorist cells in the United States.

Thirty-nine percent supported the use of the database, 41 percent were opposed and 20 percent had no opinion. Republicans, older voters, and social conservatives tended to support use of the database while Democrats, people with college degrees, younger voters, social liberals and moderates were more likely to oppose the program.

Dr. Bruce Merrill, a Cronkite School professor and nationally known pollster who conducts the monthly survey, noted that, “Arizona voters are adamant that stronger measures need to be taken to secure Arizona's borders. Support for a tougher position on border security cuts across all political and demographic groups.”

The survey, which was conducted between May 18 and May 21, 2006, has a sampling error of plus or minus 5.2 percent. Sixty percent of the interviews were conducted in Maricopa County, 16 percent in Pima County, and 24 percent in the less populated counties. The sample was 40 percent Republican, 35 percent Democrat and 25 percent independent. Fifty-one percent of voters interviewed were female and 49 percent were male.

Question wording:

1. Sheriff Joe Arpaio has started a posse that will patrol the desert in Maricopa County for illegal immigrants who will be arrested if he finds them? Do you have an opinion about that? ASK ONLY IF YES : Do you support or oppose Sheriff Arpaio's formation of a posse to patrol the desert in Maricopa County?

2. The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a civilian border watch group, has announced it will build a fence on private land along the U.S./Mexico border to stop illegal immigrants from coming across the border. Do you have an opinion about that? ASK ONLY IF YES : Do you support or oppose the Minuteman Corps building the fence along the border?

3. Recently it was announced that the Pentagon, in order to find terrorist cells in the United States, has been analyzing a database containing the records of billions of phone calls made by citizens. Do you have an opinion about that?

ASK ONLY IF YES : Do you 1. support or 2. oppose the Pentagon using

the database of phone calls made by U.S. citizens in order to find terrorist cells?

Recently President Bush came out with a number of suggestions to deal with illegal immigration. As I read each suggestion please tell me if you agree or disagree with each position. If you don't have enough information to have an opinion just tell me and we'll go on to the next suggestion.

4. President Bush wants to assign more National Guard troops to the border mostly in support roles. Do you

5. He also wants to add 6,000 new Border Patrol agents. Do you

6. He also wants to create a temporary worker program. Do you

7. The president also wants to hold employers accountable for the legal status of the workers they hire. Do you

8. Finally, he wants to refuse automatic citizenship for undocumented workers. Do you

Eight/KAET-TV is a member-supported service of Arizona State University.

For information contact: Dr. Bruce Merrill at (480) 965-7051.