Hoosiers Support Immigration Reform, Study Says

  
 

About 100 immigration reform supporters took to the streets in Indianapolis as they marched from the Statehouse to Monument Circle, urging lawmakers to back legislation allowing undocumented immigrants in the United States to seek citizenship. A new poll shows that 69 percent of Hoosiers support the immigration reform package that had been drafted by the “Gang of Eight” in the Senate.

According to someone familiar with the legislation, the bill contains measures to enhance border security and immigration law and lays out a long list of requirements for immigrants in the country who do not have documents to become citizens, a process that takes more than a decade. Brock McCleary with Harper Polling explained that while this issue is usually seen as partisan, Republican support for the bill is strong.

“Republicans – conservatives, moderate, whatever they may be – have found that impeding progress on reform, standing in the way of getting this problem solved, has really exacerbated it,” said McCleary.

It’s not just Republicans in Indiana showing support for the bill, according to Charles Spies with Republicans for Immigration Reform, a political action committee. He explained the results from the other 28 states polled tell the same story.

“This shows that Republican voters across 29 states overwhelmingly support the bipartisan approach of the “Gang of Eight” bill – and also believe that it’s time to get it done,” Spies said.