Most Americans back path to citizenship for illegal immigrants: poll

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The majority of Americans favor giving millions of illegal immigrants a way to earn citizenship, according to a survey released on Thursday, highlighting public support for efforts in Congress to reform immigration law.

In the Public Religion Research Institute poll, 63 percent of Americans said they supported a path to citizenship for undocumented foreigners if they meet certain requirements.

Seventy-one percent of Democrats and 53 percent of Republicans backed eventually allowing illegal immigrants to become Americans.

The path to citizenship idea is the centerpiece of both a bipartisan immigration plan in the Senate and President Barack Obama's immigration reform proposals.

This week, Republican Senator Rand Paul, a libertarian and favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, called for legalization of the 11 million undocumented foreigners, the majority of who are from Latin America.

He stopped short of specifically urging a path to citizenship but his statement nonetheless represents a shift in thinking for many conservatives, many of whom used to advocate deportation.

"In many ways, we are seeing the leaders in Congress catching up to where rank and file Republicans are on this issue," said Robert Jones, the CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute.

"Republicans, a couple of years ago, were holding the line against a path to citizenship... Now, there have been more Republican (lawmakers) talking about a middle option," he said.

Republicans have been forced to retool their message to non-white voters after Hispanics and other minority groups threw their support behind Obama in the November presidential election.

The poll found that fewer Americans thought that the best way to solve the country's immigration problems was to secure U.S. borders, and arrest and deport everyone living in the United States illegally. This year, 29 percent of those surveyed said that was the best policy, down from 36 percent in 2011.

The survey, conducted between March 6 and 10, was based on 4,465 Spanish and English telephone interviews with adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.7 percentage points.

The poll was conducted in partnership with the Brookings Institution think tank.

(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman)

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Colorado Senate Considers Granting In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants

The Colorado state Senate gave an initial approval on a voice vote to Senate Bill 33 on Friday. The bill would allow in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants. Here are the details.

* According to the Denver Post , a recorded vote from the senate will be needed on the third reading of the bill before it can go to the house. The voice vote on Friday came along with debate and the support of three senate Republicans.

* The bill would allow students who does not have lawful immigration status to pay in-state tuition if that student has attended a public or private high school for at least three years immediately preceding graduation or completion of a general equivalency diploma and is admitted to a Colorado institution.

* The student must submit an affidavit stating that he or she has applied for lawful presence or will apply soon if able to do so.

* The bill exempts requirements that students receiving educational services or benefits from colleges in the state from providing any documentation of lawful presence in the U.S.

* According to the legislative analysis of the bill, an estimated 500 additional students would attend colleges within the state in 2013-14 if the bill passes.

* A General Fund appropriation of $930,000 would be required for the year in order to provide College Opportunity Fund stipends for the students. In addition the governing board tuition amounts would be increased for the fiscal year by $2,043,000.

* Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who opposes the bill, reported on Friday that, though the bill currently only affects a few hundred students, "it is the first official step Colorado will take down the road of amnesty. I am opposing the bill because I do not believe amnesty is fixing the problem."

* The final reading and vote on the bill will probably be on Monday, Lundberg stated.

* According to the Colorado Springs Gazette , the three Republicans in support of the bill include Owen Hill of Colorado Springs, Greg Brophy of Wray and Larry Crowder of Alamosa.

* Gov. John Hickenlooper is in favor of the bill, the Gazette reported.

* Earlier this month, the Colorado State University System Board of Governors voted to support the measure.

* "This isn't about immigration status," said Mary Lou Makepeace, a member of the board, "this is about ensuring that the pathways to opportunity are open to all of Colorado's children."

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