Americans across the country have begun voting in the 2024 presidential election. A new Baldwin Wallace poll commissioned by Signal Ohio, Ideastream Public Media and WKYC finds that some of the biggest concerns identified by voters in Cleveland and across Ohio are affordability. They say it’s food, immigration, and security.
I took the time to talk to voters in and around Cleveland to hear their views on some of these issues. How do Ohio voters feel about immigration in the United States?
Katrina Robinson, Downtown Cleveland Credit: Katrina Robinson
Katrina Robinson, Downtown Cleveland
Political party affiliation: Independent
Nagy: Can you tell us a little bit about your personal politics?
Katrina: Yeah, I’m a seasonal voter. I was raised to vote regularly and did so at some point in my life. I started experiencing financial problems and the difficulty of working a lot. That changed my situation and I started going to the polls as much as possible.
Nagy: Do you identify with a particular political party?
Katrina: I’m an independent. I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past. There are values on both sides that I believe in. I’m the type of person who likes to balance things.
Nagy: Can you talk about how you see the current state of immigration in the United States?
Katrina: I feel like a lot of immigrants don’t come into this country on their own. So I think the immigration wave is strategically planned and the current system supports it.
It feels like a threat in a way. When the basic needs of the American people are not met, it’s a threat, but other people can come here and take advantage of our resources and learn about who we are. As a human being, I don’t have a problem with immigration, but I don’t like how the system is sometimes used against Americans.
Nagy: Do you think there is any value in immigration?
Katrina: I empathize with that struggle. I understand what it takes to come from somewhere and start a new life. All we want to say is that we have been here ever since we were born, we have struggled here, we have fought here. I think there is value in immigration, but they shouldn’t be able to come here and leapfrog us in terms of economic opportunity.
Nagy: Do you think illegal immigrants should be deported?
Katrina: I’m a humanitarian. My human self says of course they can stay, but who am I to deny that? However, we have a system in place. There are problems, but there is a process. I think anyone who wants to come should be welcome, but they need to do so legally.
Laverne Gore, Buckeye Shaker. Credit: Alicia Brown
Laverne Gore, Buckeye Shaker Square
Political party affiliation: Republican Party
(Laverne Gore was the Republican candidate in the 2021 U.S. House of Representatives election representing Ohio’s 11th Congressional District.)
Nagy: Can you tell us a little about your political affiliation?
Laverne: I consider myself a moderate conservative. I am a registered Republican and often vote Republican.
Nagy: Can you talk about how you see the current state of immigration in the United States?
Laverne: I have spent a good part of my life overseas and in different countries. No other country allows open immigration.
We cannot simply open our borders and allow everyone to enter. Some rules are required. The population to be injected must be considered. We need to see how it works socially, culturally and economically.
people are hurting. The economy affects all Americans. Now we are being asked to take what we have and share it. We cannot continue to ask Americans to do nothing to take care of other citizens.
Nagy: Do you think there is any value in immigration?
Laverne: Of course I do. You can learn something from anyone, and I think there is value in that. I love learning about other cultures. Our children should have a worldview.
But once you’re here, you have to offer something to this country. The reality is that America has a problem right now. We have to take care of ourselves. We can then look at the culture and diversity that occurs through controlled immigration.
Nagy: Do you think illegal immigrants should be deported?
Laverne: That’s right. My father was a former felon. Every time he applied for a job, he had to admit he was a former felon. That’s how he was judged.
We are allowing undocumented people into this country. We don’t know who they are, what they did in the past…nothing. We give them more opportunities than we give Americans. This is a country where second chances exist, but we cannot afford to give them to our people.
Our prison population is one of the largest in the world, and we control the people we incarcerate to very strict standards. And yet we allow complete strangers to come to this country.
Sorry, I don’t agree with that.
Adam Green, University Heights. Credit: Adam Green
Adam Green, University Heights
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Nagy: Do you identify with a particular political party?
Adam: I’m a Democrat. I grew up and grew up a Democrat.
Nagy: Can you talk about how you see the current state of immigration in the United States?
Adam: I don’t think there’s a problem with immigration. If you think about how America came to be, it was a kind of immigration outbreak. If this system were easier to use, I think more people would use it legally rather than illegally. There is clearly a reason why so many people enter the country illegally. Perhaps for safety reasons, more and more people are attempting to enter the country first and then think about the rest once they arrive.
Nagy: So you see, it doesn’t concern you that illegal immigration is happening, right?
Adam: I think that’s the way we think. If someone is in the country illegally, but is working and contributing to society, why not work with them to get a green card or the documents they need to become a U.S. citizen? Proactive Let’s work on it.
Nagy: Do you think there is any value in immigration?
Adam: I feel that immigrants help make America a place where everyone can essentially thrive in some way. I think that’s a good thing because immigrants do a lot of jobs that Americans don’t want.
Nagy: Do you think illegal immigrants should be deported?
Adam: No, I think we should work with them to get through the process. Don’t get me wrong. If they cause harm or commit crimes here, I have no problem deporting them.
But if they’re just minding their job and walking down the street and going about their daily lives, I don’t see that as a problem.
