CNN POLL SHOWS LARGE MAJORITY SUPPORT EASING SITUATION FOR LONG TIME ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

A new poll of 1,012 adult Americans taken over the weekend by Opinion Research Corporation and conducted for CNN shows a large majority support allowing illegal immigrants who have been here five or more years to apply for citizenship if they have a job, pay a fine and back taxes.

The poll released this morning shows 77 percent support the idea, but that a majority also support deporting those illegals here for less than two years by a 64-31 percent margin. A smaller majority --- 54-to-40 percent --- also opposed a proposal which would allow illegal immigrants here from between two and five years to remain on a temporary basis without a chance to seek citizenship.

The sampling error is plus or minus three points.