PHOENIX — The attitudes of Arizonans toward those here illegally apparently have not softened in the years since SB 1070.
But a lot more people seem to like the idea of marijuana being available than they did in 2010, at least to those with medical needs.
A new statewide poll shows 19 percent strongly agree the state “should aggressively pursue the deportation of undocumented immigrants.” Another 32 percent agree, albeit not as strongly.
David Daugherty, associate director of the Morrison Institute, which conducted the poll in cooperation with the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, said he found sharp differences in attitudes on the immigration question, depending on party affiliation. Two thirds of Republicans favored aggressive deportation, compared with 35 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of independents.
What was a surprise, Daugherty said, was there was “no significant difference” in response to that question based on ethnicity, with agreement by 53 percent of Anglos and 47 percent of Latinos.
The query comes five years after state lawmakers approved SB 1070, which contained several provisions designed to give police more power to detain those not in the country legally.
Legislators left little doubt in why they were approving the measure, declaring in the bill itself that its intent is “to make attrition through enforcement the public policy” of Arizona. They also they also said provisions would “work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.”
On the question of marijuana, Daugherty said 45 percent of those questioned said marijuana use should be legal for anyone 18 and older. Another 42 percent said they support allowing the use of marijuana “for medical reasons only.”
That combined 87 percent is nothing short of a sea change in attitudes since medical marijuana was approved by voters in 2010 by just a bare majority of those who turned out.
