Campaign Action
In Iowa, 81 percent of residents—including 93 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of independents, and 74 percent of Republicans—support U.S. citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, according a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. And, the support for legalization goes beyond immigrant youth, too:
Sixty-five percent of respondents in the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll call a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented workers currently living in the country “a worthy goal.”
The 65-to-26 percent majority favoring a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented workers marks a sharp increase from the last time the Iowa Poll tested the question. In June 2013, 54 percent of Iowans called the opportunity for citizenship a worthy goal, compared to 38 percent who said it wasn’t.
Remember that even in his district, the immigration viewpoint of America’s most racist congressman, Steve King, is an outlier:
Support runs strong even in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, where incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King has staked his political identity on maligning immigrants and supporting restrictive immigration policies. Sixty-two percent of Iowans living in King’s district say a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented workers is a worthy goal.
Iowa’s aren’t too keen on Donald Trump’s stupid border wall, either. Half oppose building it, saying it “should not be funded under any circumstances.” Only 15 percent agree with Trump’s demand it should be tied to any deal for immigrant youth.
“As far as the wall goes, that’s just the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” said Democrat Sara Johnson. “Whether there’s a wall there or not, people are still going to get into America. Why spend all that money that could be allocated to other things on a wall that doesn’t need to be there? It’s ridiculous.”
King is the lone member of Iowa’s Congressional delegation to oppose any form of legal status for undocumented immigrants, not a shocker coming from a man who cavorts with white supremacists like himself and openly celebrated the deportation of a Dreamer by having a beer:
Both of Iowa’s U.S. senators, 3rd District U.S. Rep. David Young and Trump have indicated support for permanent legal status and potentially a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients — so long as it’s paired with increased border security and new limits on legal immigration. U.S. Rep. Rod Blum has taken a similar view, while U.S. Rep. Steve King opposes legal status for DACA recipients.
U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, the lone Democrat in the Iowa delegation, has said he favors extending DACA's protections in a package that also "enforces the rule of law, secures our borders and ensures accountability."
Support for legal status up to and including citizenship for DACA recipients is broad and deep in Iowa, regardless of the state’s typical political and cultural divides.
“It’s even strong among Iowans who say they’ll vote to re-elect Trump in 2020” notes the Des Moines Register, despite the fact that he’s the one who campaigned on ending the program in the first place:
64 percent believe a pathway to citizenship is a worthy goal for people previously covered by DACA.
That includes Republican Tonya Goeser, 46, of Harlan, who says she’ll definitely vote for Trump and definitely supports citizenship for the undocumented.
“If you want to be here and you’re willing to pay the taxes, be a good citizen, there’s no problem,” she said.
Read it and weep, Steve.