As the federal government steps up measures on immigration enforcement, Latinos are increasingly concerned about deportation, according to a survey released last week.  A little more than half of Latinos worry that they, a relative or close friend could be deported, according to the survey conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center , a nonpartisan research organization in Washington D.C.   The survey of 2,003 randomly selected Latino adults asked their opinions on deportation, work-site raids and other issues related to immigration enforcement.   

According to the survey’s results, nearly two-thirds of the nation’s Latinos say the battle over immigration has made life more difficult for all Latinos, including those here legally.  Over half said they had experienced at least on negative impact from a list that included not finding work, not finding housing more demands to prove immigration status, reluctance to use government services, and deciding not to travel out of the country.   

Unsurprisingly, the Pew survey suggested far more Latinos oppose increased enforcement than non-Latinos; a separate national poll of 1,009 adults surveyed the general population to provide a comparison.  About 75 percent of Latinos disapproved of workplace raids. About 51 percent of non-Hispanics in a separate survey said they support the raids, which have increased almost tenfold in six years.  "We do not conduct random sweeps," ICE officials said in a written response to the Pew survey.  "However, anyone in the country runs the risk of being detained and placed into removal proceedings if encountered by law enforcement."  

Jose Calderon, a professor of Sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College , echoed the survey’s findings that discrimination is a major problem affecting Latinos.  "A lot of the enforcement that is being aimed at immigrants is also affecting legal residents and citizens," Calderon said.  "That is turning a large majority of Latinos more strongly in favor of policies that support immigrants."  

The Pew Hispanic Center report is available online at: http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=84