Ranger from the North

However, Conway's findings suggest that the desire to protect the American worker is paramount. 74 percent agreed with the following proposition: "The government has a responsibility to adopt immigration policies that protect. . .unemployed or low-wage American workers from competition with illegal immigrants for job." 85 percent of "blue collar workers" agreed with this. Even a majority of those identifying themselves as liberals concurred.

The same sentiment is evident in the response to this question: "If U.S. businesses have trouble finding workers, what should happen? They should raise wages and improve working conditions to attract Americans OR more immigrant workers should be allowed into the country to fill these jobs."

Three-quarters of respondents (and 86 percent of Blacks) said that businesses should raise wages and improve working conditions. Only 8 percent favored allowing more immigrant workers into the country to fill the jobs.

From a political standpoint, then, Republicans should be treating immigration as a jobs issue and as a means of appealing to workers. Instead of pandering to business's desire for cheap labor and to Hispanics who are unlikely to support Republicans in any realistic scenario, they should focus on the interests of the American worker, as the American worker perceives them.