Immigration

Results From Member Surveys on Immigration

NFIB Member Survey on Immigration, Part One
This survey was conducted from January through February of 2006. A sample of 10,000 NFIB small-business members was drawn. Two thousand and seventeen (2,017) usable responses were received, providing a response rate of 20 percent.

Executive Summary

  • Over 90 percent of NFIB small-business owner members believe illegal immigration is a problem. Seventy percent call it a "very serious" or "serious" problem. Eighty-six percent say it should have a "very high" or "high" priority for the Congress and Administration.
  • The single most important reason illegal immigration constitutes a problem, according to these small-business owners, is the cost of undocumented workers to taxpayers (47 percent). Other most important concerns are: National security and the threat of terrorism (23 percent), disrespect for the law (13 percent) and job loss/depressed wages for Americans (10 percent).
  • A plurality of small-business owners (43 percent) say too many legal immigrants are admitted annually with a similar proportion (38 percent) saying the number is about right.  Just 14 percent say too few are admitted.   
  • NFIB members believe the first priority for legal immigration should go to those who have job skills or qualifications that are in short supply (44 percent), followed by those with family ties to people already in the country (22 percent), and then "first come, first serve" (20 percent). 
  • NFIB members support admitting foreign nationals to fill skilled jobs where government-certified shortages exist (56 percent to 27 percent), and allowing people to enter the country, work for a specified period, and return home (62 percent to 21 percent).
  • NFIB members have a mixed view on amnesty for undocumented workers. About half with an opinion say there should be no amnesty under any circumstance; half hold the other view. A sizeable majority oppose amnesty for undocumented workers if they only need to prove that they have been living in the United States for at least three years (21 percent favor to 65 percent oppose), but members are split on amnesty if undocumented workers are employed and not dependent on government services (45 percent favor to 45 percent oppose). 
  • By a 78 percent to 15 percent margin, NFIB small-business owners favor increasing penalties for employers who KNOWNINGLY hire undocumented workers. 
  • Owners would deny undocumented workers access to publicly supported social programs by an 88 percent to 6 percent margin and would detain suspected undocumented workers until their hearing by a 57 percent to 28 percent margin. 
  • NFIB members are split evenly on the merits of a border fence. Among those opposing the fence, two-thirds attribute their views to lack of effectiveness. 
  • Small-business owners would consider verification of ID used by an employee to prove eligibility to work (needed for Form I-9) a moderate burden. However, the burden could be reduced by a single location verification/authorization system that would certify document authenticity.
  • Overwhelmingly, the primary identification document presented small-business owners is a driver's license; the primary work eligibility document is a social security card. 

NFIB Member Survey on Immigration, Part Two
This survey was conducted from November through December of 2006. A sample of 10,000 NFIB small-business members was drawn. Two thousand three hundred and seventy-eight (2,078) usable responses were received, providing a response rate of 24 percent.

Executive Summary

  • NFIB members generally favor allowing guest workers into the United States and mostly agree that the number of guest workers should be dependent on the needs of business owners, not limited by government-set caps.
  • NFIB members support measures to ensure that guest workers are being hired on a need only basis and not for cheaper labor.
  • Nearly all NFIB members who hire guest workers pay them above the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. Thirty percent of owners pay guest workers 10 dollars or more per hour. 
  • The majority of NFIB members are not in favor of special breaks or lenient treatment of undocumented workers or those business owners who knowingly hire undocumented workers.
  • Nearly 80 percent of respondents believe that undocumented workers should be required to return to their native country and seek readmission through the standard process.
  • Eighty-three percent of respondents believe that employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers should be subject to fines and or other penalties.
  • The vast majority of NFIB members are against allowing undocumented workers access to non-emergency social services. Only 6 percent believed that they should have access.
  • Seventy-three percent of NFIB members support a mandatory employee verification system, but are split on how the system should be financed, by employer fees or taxpayers. 
  • Seven percent of NFIB members have hired one or more guest workers within the last two years.