Religious Leaders vs. Members: An Examination of Contrasting Views on Immigration

[bobbyw24]

Religious Leaders vs. Members: An Examination of Contrasting Views on Immigration

By Steven A. Camarota
December 2009
Backgrounders and Reports
Download a pdf of this Backgrounder

Steven A. Camarota is the Director of Research at the Center for immigration Studies.

In contrast to many national religious leaders who are lobbying for increases in immigration numbers, a new Zogby poll of likely voters who belong to the same religious communities finds strong support for reducing overall immigration. Moreover, the poll finds that members strongly disagree with their leaders’ contention that more immigrant workers need to be allowed into the country. Also, most parishioners and congregants advocate for more enforcement to cause illegal workers to go home, while most religious leaders are calling for putting illegal immigrants on a path to U.S. citizenship. The survey of Catholic, mainline Protestant, born-again Protestant, and Jewish voters used neutral language and was one of the largest polls on immigration ever done.

Among the findings:

Most members of religious denominations do not feel that illegal immigration is caused by limits on legal immigration, as many religious leaders do; instead, members feel it’s due to a lack of enforcement.

Catholics: Just 11 percent said illegal immigration was caused by not letting in enough legal immigrants; 78 percent said it was caused by inadequate enforcement efforts.

Mainline Protestants: 18 percent said not enough legal immigration; 78 percent said inadequate
enforcement.

Born-Again Protestants: 9 percent said not enough legal immigration; 85 percent said inadequate enforcement.

Jews: 21 percent said not enough legal immigration; 60 percent said inadequate enforcement.
Unlike religious leaders who argue that more unskilled immigrant workers are needed, most members think there are plenty of Americans to do such work.

Catholics: 12 percent said legal immigration should be increased to fill such jobs; 69 percent said there are plenty of Americans available to do such jobs, employers just need to pay more.

Mainline Protestants: 10 percent said increase immigration; 73 percent said plenty of Americans available.

Born-Again Protestants: 7 percent said increase immigration; 75 percent said plenty of Americans available.

Jews: 16 percent said increase immigration; 61 percent said plenty of Americans available.
When asked to choose between enforcement that would cause illegal immigrants to go home over time or a conditional pathway to citizenship, most members of religious communities choose enforcement.

Catholics: 64 percent support enforcement to encourage illegals to go home; 23 percent support conditional legalization.

Mainline Protestants: 64 percent support enforcement; 24 percent support conditional legalization.

Born-Again Protestants: 76 percent support enforcement; 12 percent support conditional
legalization.

Jews: 43 percent support enforcement; 40 percent support conditional legalization.

In contrast to many religious leaders, most members think immigration is too high.

Catholics: 69 percent said immigration is too high; 4 percent said too low; 14 percent just right.

Mainline Protestants: 72 percent said it is too high; 2 percent said too low; 11 percent just right.

Born-Again Protestants: 78 percent said it is too high; 3 percent said too low; 9 percent just right.

Jews: 50 percent said it is too high; 5 percent said is too low; 22 percent just right.

While it would be incorrect to say that a consensus exists among religious leaders on the issue of immigration, it is true that a significant number of religious leaders have expressed their strong desire to work to legalize most illegal immigrants here and increase legal immigration in the future. In particular, leaders of the Catholic Church, Mainline Protestant churches, and some born-again churches, and major Jewish denominations all have argued that we need more legal immigration, particularly more immigrant workers. The findings of a new Zogby poll show that most self-identified Catholics, Mainline Protestants, born-again Protestants, and Jews do not support these views. This divide between church leaders and members is very likely to make any debate over immigration next year all the more contentious.

http://cis.org/ReligionAndImmigrationPoll

[bobbyw24]

Thursday, December 31, 2009
By Christopher Neefus


The San Ysidro port of entry, as seen from the Mexican side. Four people were injured here Tuesday in a gun battle involving an attempt to smuggle illegal immigrants from Mexico at the busiest border crossing in the U.S., authorities said. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)
(CNSNews.com) – American Jews and Christians hold views about illegal immigration that are largely at odds with those of their spiritual leaders, according to a new poll from Zogby International.

The poll showed that while most religious leaders saw illegal immigration as a problem caused by barriers to legal immigration, most worshippers thought a lack of enforcement of current law was the problem; and while leaders thought employers needed access to more immigrant labor, rank-and-file members thought employers needed to attract more domestic workers.

Steven A. Camarota, the research director for the nonpartisan Center for Immigration Studies said the results revealed a “huge divide” between religious leaders and the general religious population, although one that had been telegraphed in policy debates before.

“The huge divide between rank-and-file Jews and Christians and many of their leaders is actually not that surprising,” Camarota said in his analysis. “Prior research shows a very significant divide between opinions of the public and of elites on the issue of immigration. Religious groups follow this same pattern.”

Zogby asked respondents to choose whether they thought “We need to allow more immigrants into the country to fill (unskilled labor) jobs because there aren’t enough Americans willing or able to do them” or “There are plenty of Americans already here to do these jobs; if employers can’t find workers, they should pay more and treat workers better.”

The Catholic Church’s position is that legal immigration should be increased to provide employers with more unskilled laborers and that there should be a “path to permanent residency which is achievable/verifiable.” Yet 69 percent of Catholics believe there are plenty of American workers available to do the jobs. Just 12 percent sided with the Catholic bishops.

The numbers are similar for mainline Protestants (73-10), Evangelical Protestants (75-7), and Jews (61-16), all express general opposition to the positions taken by their leaders.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/59164

[Dunedain]

interesting statistics. I've got no theories as to why religious leaders would like to give their parishioners country away. Especially, when they parishioners are against the idea.