W. Virginia Voters Side With Manchin Opposing Amnesty in ‘Build Back Better’

West Virginia voters overwhelmingly oppose an amnesty provision for illegal immigrants in the “Build Back Better” legislation, bolstering Democratic Sen. Joe Machin’s opposition to the measure.

A new telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and Numbers USA finds that just 17% of Likely West Virginia Voters approve of a provision in the Build Back Better bill that would offer 10 years of work permits and legal status to approximately 8 million illegal immigrants. Another 14% would only support the proposed 10-year amnesty if it includes provisions to stop future illegal immigration. Thirty-one percent (34%) say no amnesty should be considered until the border is under control, while 29% oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants under any condition. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The House of Representatives last week passed the $2-trillion spending bill, which Democrats hope to enact through a “reconciliation” procedure to overcome a Senate filibuster. Only 28% of West Virginia voters generally support the Build Back Better bill, while 55% oppose it. Another 17% are not sure.

While 49% of Democratic voters in West Virginia say they support the Build Back Better legislation, the bill is opposed by solid majorities of both Republicans (72%) and voters not affiliated with either major party (58%). Even among Democrats, however, only 33% support the provision that offers legal status and work permits for up to 8 million illegal immigrants without any extra enforcement to gain control of the country’s border with Mexico or to deter future illegal migration.

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The survey of 1,077 West Virginia Likely Voters was conducted on November 16-17, 2021 by Rasmussen Reports and Numbers USA. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

“The overwhelming opposition to that amnesty from Senator Manchin’s own party, and even greater objections from the rest of his state’s voters, should be a bright red light for West Virginia’s Democratic senator to stop a bill with that amnesty from passing through the Senate,” said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA Action. “Earlier this month, Senator Manchin said, ‘For us to even be talking about immigration without border security is ludicrous.’  Most West Virginia voters apparently agree.”

There has been a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border since President Joe Biden took office, with about 200,000 illegally crossing the border each month. The survey found that 79% of West Virginia voters are concerned about the current level of illegal immigration, including 64% who are very concerned. Only 21% are not concerned. Ninety-four percent (94%) of Republicans, 64% of Democrats, and 78% of unaffiliated voters are concerned about current levels of illegal immigration.

Eighty-one percent (81%) say they have been closely following news about the Build Back Better bill, including 55% who have been following it Very Closely.

Among other findings in the survey:

– Seventy percent (70%) of West Virginia voters think the federal government should adopt stricter policies to reduce the flow of illegal crossings at the Mexican border, while just 21% believe the government is doing about as much as it should to control the border. Majorities of nearly every demographic category – including 87% of Republicans, 52% of Democrats and 71% of unaffiliated voters – favor stricter policies to control the border.

– Sixty-four percent (64%) of West Virginia voters believe the amnesty provision in the Build Back Better bill would encourage more illegal crossings at the border, while 27% think it would not make much difference.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of West Virginia voters think the government should help control illegal immigration by mandating that all employers use the federal electronic E-Verify system to help ensure that they hire only legal workers for U.S. jobs. Only 13% disagree, while another 16% are not sure. Majorities across party lines support making E-Verify mandatory, with 79% of Republicans, 61% of Democrats and 71% of unaffiliated voters in favor.

– By nearly a 3-to-1 margin, West Virginia voters would be more inclined to vote against a Congress member who supported the Build Back Better amnesty provision. Sixty-five percent (65%) would vote against a member of Congress who supported work permits for approximately 8 million illegal immigrants without addressing the current level of illegal border crossings, while just 21% would be more inclined to vote against a member who supported the provision. Twelve percent (12%) said it would not make much difference.

Even among Democratic voters in West Virginia, only 34% said they’d be more inclined to vote for a Congress member who supported the Build Back Better amnesty provision.

Barely one-fifth of Arizona voters support efforts by Democrats to include an amnesty provision for illegal immigrants in the “Build Back Better” legislation currently pending in Congress, and most would vote against a member of Congress who supports the proposed amnesty.

Two-thirds of voters don’t believe illegal immigrants have a right to sue the U.S. government, and as for settlement payments to families separated at the border, most think the proper amount is zero.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.

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