Poll: Majority Of Californians Don't Want Militia On Mexican Border

A majority of California voters do not support the idea of volunteers forming patrols to deter illegal immigrants along the state's border with Mexico, according to a poll released Thursday.

Scrutiny of border issues heightened in recent months after a volunteer group called The Minutemen began patrols in Arizona and other Southwest states, intending to report illegal immigrants to border authorities.

They were reacting to rampant drug smuggling, human trafficking, environmental damage and trespassing, conditions that later prompted the governors of Arizona and New Mexico to declare states of emergencies.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised The Minutemen's efforts but said he does not believe conditions along California's border require an emergency declaration.

The Field Poll found that 56 percent of registered voters said they do not think it is a good idea to have private citizens patrolling the border. A majority of Republicans, 58 percent, support it, while 65 percent of Democrats and nonpartisan voters oppose it.

When asked whether Schwarzenegger should declare a border emergency, 44 percent of voters said they favor the idea, with 40 percent opposed and 16 percent undecided.

The Field Poll also found that 81 percent of California voters have some concerns about illegal border crossings. About half, 49 percent, said they are extremely concerned about the issue, while 32 percent said they are somewhat concerned; 19 percent said it was not a concern.

Not surprisingly, voters living closer to the border were more concerned than those living farther away. A larger percentage of Republicans view the issue as a more acute problem than do Democrats and nonpartisan voters.

Almost two out of three voters, 63 percent, said they think the number of illegal immigrants is increasing, while 24 percent said they think it is about the same and 3 percent said it has decreased; 10 percent had no opinion.

The telephone poll was drawn from interviews in Spanish and English with 426 registered voters over a 10-day period ending Aug. 29. The poll has a margin of error off plus or minus 5 percentage points.