Oregon Small Business Owners Favor Immigration Reform with Roadmap to Citizenship for Current and Future Immigrants Over Reforms with No Roadmap

Survey of Oregon small business owners mirror results of new national poll – majority support roadmap to citizenship for current immigrants by 74 Percent -12 Percent in Oregon

 

Oregon small business owners support a roadmap to citizenship for current and future immigrants over reforms without a roadmap to citizenship by margins of more than six to one in a new survey released today by the Main Street Alliance of Oregon, bringing a new perspective on key flash points in the immigration debate as a weekend breakthrough in negotiations between business and labor interests indicated new momentum toward reform.

In a recent walking survey, 363 Oregon small businesses were asked their opinion on issues relating to comprehensive immigration reform. The results showed that nearly three-quarters (74.4%) were in favor of immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship compared to 11.6% opposed. Click here to see the survey results: Voices of Main Street 2012-2013, Immigration Reform

The Oregon survey results mirror key findings of a scientific live phone survey of 515 small business owners nationwide released today by the Main Street Alliance and the American Sustainable Business Council. Click here to read the poll report: http://bit.ly/smallbusinesspollimmigration

“A comprehensive immigration package with a path to earned citizenship is more than smart politics – it’s smart economics, and it’s the right move for small businesses and the economy,” said Jose Gonzalez, President of Tu Casa Real Estate in Salem, Oregon and Main Street Alliance of Oregon Executive Team Member. “Comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship would expand our GDP by an estimated $1.5 trillion over 10 years. That’s nearly twice the GDP growth of reform without a path to citizenship. Our out-of-date and out-of-touch immigration policies are getting in the way of rebuilding the economy. It’s time to fix this problem now, this year.”

According to Richard Eidlin, Director of Public Policy for the American Sustainable Business Council, “Small business owners recognize that immigrants contribute to our economy and our country in important ways – as workers, as business owners and job creators, and as a growing economic force that strengthens consumer demand and the small business customer base. That’s why we need new immigration policies that reward initiative with the American promise of opportunity. A roadmap to citizenship will help to create stronger communities and a stronger economy overall.”

Key findings from the national poll include:

• Two thirds of small business owners support a roadmap to citizenship for current immigrants, with support at two to one or more across party lines: 67% of small business owners support a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants currently living and working in the U.S., while 27% oppose it. Republican small business owners (62% support – 31% oppose), Democratic small business owners (82%-13%), and Independent small business owners (65%-29%) all support a roadmap to citizenship for current immigrants by margins of two to one or more.
• Small business owners favor a roadmap to citizenship for future immigrants over a temporary worker program with no roadmap to citizenship by a margin of more than two to one: 61% of small business owners think the immigration process for future immigrants should include a roadmap to citizenship, compared to 27% who think it should be a temporary guest worker program with no roadmap to citizenship.
• Small business owners’ preference for a roadmap to citizenship for future immigrants over a temporary worker program with no roadmap holds across party lines: Republican small business owners (56% for roadmap to citizenship – 33% for temporary worker program with no roadmap), Democratic small business owners (70%-16%), and Independent small business owners (69%-21%) all prefer a roadmap to citizenship over a temporary worker program with no roadmap by 20 points or more.
• Small business support for immigration reform is motivated by multiple considerations:

o   Small business owners agree (82% agree – 14% disagree) with a statement highlighting the historical role of immigrant business owners and workers in building strong local economies.

o   Small business owners agree (71%-25%) with a statement emphasizing the potential of immigrant economic integration to strengthen the small business customer base.

o   Small business owners agree (67%-26%) with a statement positing the importance of keeping families together to ensure a productive workforce for small businesses.

• Respondents in this scientific national telephone survey were politically diverse, with a strong plurality of Republicans or Independents who lean Republican: 47% identified as Republican or Independent-leaning Republican; 27% as Democratic or Independent-leaning Democratic; and 26% as Independent or other.

For more information on these poll findings, visit: http://bit.ly/smallbusinesspollimmigration

Poll results reported here represent findings from a scientific national phone survey of 515 small business owners (with 2 to 99 employees), commissioned by the American Sustainable Business Council and the Main Street Alliance and conducted by Lake Research Partners. The nationwide live phone survey was conducted between March 14-25, 2013. It has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%.