US sees illegal immigration as major threat

Americans see illegal immigration, loss of jobs to foreign countries, natural disaster and energy shortage as events likely to be threats to their country in the next five years.

Americans see illegal immigration, loss of jobs to foreign countries, natural disaster and energy shortage as events most likely to be major threats to the US in the next five years.

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Two of these possible threats are seen as extremely or very likely by over half of the public, according to a Harris Poll released Monday, with 55 percent of all adults putting a large number of illegal immigrants coming in at the top.

A significant loss of jobs to foreign countries comes next with 52 percent of adults believing it would be an extremely or very likely threat, according to the results of an online survey of 1,508 US adults Jan 5-12. However, because split samples were used, each individual item on the list was asked of between 400 and 500 adults.

The only other possible event seen as an extremely or very likely threat by more than 40 percent of all adults is a significant natural disaster destroying areas of a major city (43 percent).

Almost as many - 40 percent - think that US energy needs exceeding supplies is an extremely or very likely threat. Thirty-five percent feel that a trade imbalance leading to foreign ownership of US debt and property is an extremely or very likely threat.

Substantial but smaller percentages of Americans feel that various types of terrorist attacks are a threat while 26 percent think that attacks against a number of airplanes is an extremely or very likely threat. A 24 percent think that an attack with biological weapons is an extremely or very likely threat. However, fewer people (14 percent) think an attack with a nuclear weapon is an extremely or very likely threat.

Relatively few people think any of the following as extremely or very likely threats: a major stock market crash (11 percent); a large-scale avian flu epidemic (11 percent); the banking system experiencing a major financial collapse (14 percent); a world war (15 percent); major riots by groups within the US (20 percent).

There are a few potential threats that are viewed as more or less likely by Republicans and Democrats. Specifically: Republicans (73 percent) are much more likely than Democrats (43 percent) to see large-scale illegal immigration as an extremely or very likely threat.

Democrats (57 percent) are somewhat more likely than Republicans (42 percent) to see a significant loss of jobs to foreign countries as an extremely or very likely threat. Democrats (35 percent) are three times more likely than Republicans (12 percent) to see the government not being able to borrow money, due to the debt load.

Democrats are also much more likely to see a significant rise in ocean levels as a very or extremely likely threat (31 percent vs. 11 percent).