Poll: Hispanics, Blacks Back Democrats Over Republicans in Immigration Reform

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter Monday, July 15, 2013

A Gallup Poll released on Monday has found that more Americans agree with the Democratic Party over the GOP regarding immigration reform, with minorities heavily backing the former.

"What we really want is a bipartisan solution. This is the only way we can move forward," the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said of the poll results in a phone interview with The Christian Post on Monday. "I'm advocating for a moral solution – that reflects our ideals, which are: respect for human dignity, and respect for the law."

According to Gallup, 48 percent of all U.S. adults sided with the Democrats, compared to 36 percent with the Republicans on the issue. The results, however, varied significantly when it came to the opinions of minorities. Blacks favored the Democrats over the Republicans 70 to 14 percent. Hispanics backed Democrats 60 to 26 percent, while the support was almost evenly split for non-Hispanic whites – 41 percent sided with the Democrats, 42 percent with the Republicans, while 16 percent did not give an opinion.

Gallup noted that the results reflect party partisanship, as equally high proportions of Republicans and Democrats prefer their own party. Independents remained divided, however, suggesting that neither party has managed to stake a real political advantage on the issue.

"I think what those polls show really is that the country feels that something comprehensive needs to happen. We want Democrats and Republicans to work together to bring forth real practical solutions for the whole nation. It's not a Republican solution, and it's not a Democrat solution – it's a moral solution," Rodriguez told CP.

Many evangelicals have been praying for U.S. lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will address the needs and concerns of over 11 million undocumented people living in America today. The Evangelical Immigration Table, of which the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference is a part of, has been hosting a number of events and prayer initiatives to bring attention to immigration reform and encourage lawmakers to come to a bipartisan understating.

"We are concerned that legislation will be stalled, and we think it's time to act now. Evangelicals across the country have been praying, asking the elected officials to do something comprehensive that secures the borders, protects human dignity and keeps families together," Rodriguez said.

"As a Christian, I am not interested in endorsing any party, what I'm concerned about is that fathers, mothers and children, and that the nation as a whole, finds a real clear solution that's good for the economy, that's good for jobs, that's good for families, that's good for the church."