A change in Arizona’s views on immigration?

by David Safier

ASU conducted a poll which found Arizonans are far more open to a path to citizenship for immigrants than seemed to be true a few years ago.

The poll by ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy found that 78 percent of Arizonans would support legislation letting longtime undocumented immigrants become citizens if they also paid a fine, passed criminal background checks, paid taxes and show they can speak English.

The poll found that 89 percent of Democrats and 69 percent of Republicans favored giving longtime illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

The number that sticks out is, 69% of Republicans in favor of a path to citizenship.

This doesn't mean a poll wouldn't still show support for SB1070. How many times have we seen people take one side on an umbrella statement and another when you pull it apart into specifics?

In 2010, Arizona's Dem candidates cowered — they were told to cower by higher-ups in the state party — in the face of SB1070. A lot of good it did on election day! I suppose the results could have been worse, but I don't see how. Probably the most long lasting harm came from reinforcing the notion that Democrats don't really stand for anything, while Republicans are strong, even when they're wrong.

This time around, maybe, Democrats will take a stronger, more honest stand on immigration. After all, there's a poll out there to give them a bit more courage.