Politics & Government

Poll: 66 Percent Believe Illegal Immigration Hurts CT

A new poll commissioned by the Federation for American Immigration Reform reveals that most Connecticut residents believe overall immigration to the U.S. should be reduced.

Two-thirds, or 66 percent, of Connecticut residents that participated in a recent nationwide poll believe illegal immigration is hurting the Nutmeg State, according to a statement released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

The poll, which was commissioned by FAIR and conducted by Pulse Opinion Research last month, also reveals that 67 percent of Connecticut voters oppose in-state tuition aid for illegal aliens looking to attend public universities. There is a bill currently being considered by the state that would allow .

State Sen. Toni Boucher, a Republican who represents Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton in the 26th Senate District, told Patch last year that passing the bill would take away spots from citizens and legal aliens.

Find out what's happening in Ledyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The poll also revealed that:

  • 68 percent believe the state should be involved in immigration enforcement
  • 39 percent believe illegal immigrants take jobs from American citizens, while 35 percent believe they fill jobs American workers will not do. 
  • 51 percent support reducing overall immigration to the U.S.

"It is clear that elected officials in Connecticut and most of the state's congressional delegation in Washington are out of step with the views of the people who put them in office," Dan Stein, president of FAIR, said in the statement.

Find out what's happening in Ledyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to FAIR, there are 120,000 illegal aliens currently living in Connecticut with 85,680 of them in the workforce.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here