A national poll conducted by Quinnipiac University reveals that by a 69-27 margin, American voters say undocumented immigrants should be allowed into a guest worker program with the ability to work toward citizenship over a period of several years.  Republicans support the guest worker to citizenship path 66-32 percent, while Democrats back it 73-24 percent, the poll finds.  

From November 13-19, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,623 registered voters nationwide.  The survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points.  Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipac University Polling Institute, assessed the situation:  “Americans think more needs to be done to deal with illegal immigration, and they want it done in their own neighborhoods as well.  Two thirds of Americans favor a guest-worker program with a path to citizenship, which President Bush and a lot of Democrats were for before the issue got caught up in all the campaign-season rhetoric.”  

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More details are being revealed by U.S. officials as to the broadening of the Visa Waiver Program, including implementation of an electronic “visa lite” system that would enable travelers to enter the U.S. by automatically clearing any terrorism and immigration watch lists.  According to The Washington Post, President Bush last week promised last week to send a proposal to Congress to modify the program to allow foreign nationals while strengthening domestic security.   

The modification includes “electronic travel authorization,” which would be issue to passport holder before they traveled to the U.S. , as well as improved information-sharing by new member nations on lost or stolen passports and criminal and terrorist watch lists and higher standards for their document and airport security.