Tomorrow's IBD Confirms: By a 2-to-1 Margin Americans Favor Arizona's Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law

Tomorrow's Investors Business Daily will confirm what other polls had found: Americans overwhelmingly support Arizona's enforcement of existing federal immigration law. By a 2-to-1 margin (60% to 30%, with 10% undecided), Americans believe that states have every right to defend citizens from an unchecked invasion of illegal immigrants.

Last time I checked, protecting the border was a constitutional duty of the federal government, which it appears to have abdicated.

The law, signed by GOP Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23, lets state and local law enforcement scrutinize a person's citizenship after a "lawful contact" (arrest or other action).

Similar laws are being proposed for Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas, Maryland and Oklahoma, though they are in preliminary stages.

The poll also found hardened attitudes toward illegal immigrants. Now 49% agree that illegals do jobs that Americans will not do vs. 54% in 2006. Just 33% believe illegals contribute significantly to the economy vs. 44% in 2006.

Eighty percent believe employers who knowingly hire illegals should be held accountable, 66% say securing the borders trumps expanding any guest-worker program and 71% think that the borders must be secure before discussing any amnesty for existing illegal immigrants.

"If the public actually did believe the borders were secure ... the public might actually go for an amnesty," [Center for Immigration Studies head Mark] Krikorian said. But the public doesn't buy border enforcement claims, he adds.

Janet Incompetano could not be reached for comment.