58% of U.S. voters say a child born to an illegal immigrant in this country should not automatically become a citizen of the United States

Also voters overwhelmingly oppose allowing illegal immigrants to be eligible for state and federal government benefits. Just nine percent (9%) say illegals should receive such benefits, but 85% say they should not. Most voters believe that the availability of government money and services draws illegal immigrants to the United States. Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats think children born to illegal immigrants in this country should automatically become U.S. citizens. Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republicans and 60% of voters not affiliated with either major party disagree. Most Americans don’t believe Mexico wants to stop the illegal flow of its citizens into this country and think America’s southern neighbor should be asked to compensate U.S. taxpayers for costs incurred by illegal immigration. Even as legislators in Washington once again are talking about immigration reform, voters across the nation remain skeptical about the federal government’s role in the immigration debate. Three-out-of-four voters believe that the federal government is not doing enough to secure the nation’s borders. Fifty-six percent (56%) believe the policies of the federal government actually encourage illegal immigration. Most voters continue to say as they have for years that gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of illegal immigrants. In fact, 67% now say military troops should be sent to the Mexican border to prevent illegal immigration. Arizona officials say their recent adoption of a tough immigration enforcement law is due to the federal government’s failure to enforce federal immigration policy. While President Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and others have complained that the state’s law could lead to racial profiling, 58% of voters nationwide favor passage of a law like Arizona’s in their own state. Boston and Los Angeles were among the first to announce boycotts of Arizona, but 68% of Americans say it’s a bad idea for other cities or states to boycott Arizona over its new immigration law.