By Alan Bean
An exit poll conducted for the Associated Press contains this surprising result:
Only 3 in 10 voters said that most illegal immigrants working in the U.S. should be deported, while nearly two-thirds said such people should be offered a chance to apply for legal status.
Voter opinion depends a great deal on the way the question is phrased, so a different question might have received a less generous response. But if 65% of the nation thinks undocumented residents deserve a shot at citizenship, Congress has a mandate for comprehensive reform. Let’s hope they make the most of it.
