Immigration security

 Poll: Americans want tough immigration reform, the wall, English spoken

President Trump’s demand for tougher border enforcement has strong support from Americans who are now demanding immigration reform that is further right that Washington realizes and they also want the wall built, according to a survey from a bipartisan group.

The centrist Bipartisan Policy Center on Tuesday released a Luntz Global survey that revealed a conservative shift in the public’s view of immigration reform.

...Key findings directly from the report:

• Americans support the construction of a border wall, they also believe that technology and personnel, as well as border barriers, are critical to improving the nation’s border security.
• Voters strongly believe that people living illegally in the United States should have a path to legal status, but it shouldn’t be ‘for free.’
• Concerns were highest over immigrants competing with U.S. citizens for government benefits and lower on job competition.
• Nearly two-thirds of Americans find it very or extremely important that immigrants be able to hold a basic conversation in English, but only 11 percent believe immigrants should be fluent.
• Voters define merit broadly in an immigration system, suggesting that the United States should admit people who share its values, abide by the law, have family members here, and can meet job vacancies, whether high-or low-skilled.
• The public wants President Trump and Democrats to work out a compromise, not to leave immigration reform to states.