According to a recent report by Politico, anti-immigration activists in Virginia are urging that state legislature to implement Arizona-style laws that seek to push immigrants out of the state. In states like Arizona and Alabama, immigrants fled their homes, leaving their jobs behind without telling their bosses. This is in part because the states made it legal for employers to report their undocumented workers. As well, in Arizona, police can stop a suspicious man or woman and demand documentation on the spot. If it isn’t presented, the police can arrest that immigrant for illegally being in the country. The state also has given school officials permission to tip to government off as to what children in their schools belong to undocumented parents.

However, the strict rules have had some very adverse effects. The mass exodus of immigrants from these states merited a horrible loss of workers in agriculture. Many undocumented aliens would work in American farmer’s fields harvesting delicate crops like strawberries and tomatoes by hand. When the workers left without notice, farmers were not able to replace them and lost an abundance of their crops. However, despite the negative effects that have been seen in recent history, a recent poll shows that citizens in Virginia are pushing for stricter immigration statues. About two-thirds of all voters involved in the poll want the state to follow Arizona’s lead. They want police officers to check the legal status of any suspicious individuals. Only 34 percent of pollers did not approve of the action, according to the Quinnipiac survey.

The survey showed that Virginians of all gender, religion, education levels, and incomes support stricter legislation. The only group that had a significant opposition to immigration was African American voters. 58 percent of the men and women from Virginia with African American ethnicity said that they do not approve of harsher measures. Recently, Obama’s decision to grant immigrants in a certain age bracket permission to obtain work permits changed the face of immigration legislation in America. However, the men and women who are permitted to remain in their respective states are only those who came to the nation as children and have received a college degree. 53 percent of Virginians support Obama’s decision, while 40 percent opposed it.

While supporting Obama’s pro-immigration choice, the voters still have opinions on illegal immigration. A shocking 91 percent of all Republican voters who participated in the poll want Virginia to adopt Arizona-like legislation as soon as possible. Only 36-percent of democrats shared the sentiment. The amount of support from the GOP regarding Obama’s immigration choice is also scarce. Only 28 percent of Republicans liked the move, as opposed to 80 percent of all Democrats. With the elections coming up, more and more states will begin probing changes in immigration. While Arizona’s harsh policies have seen some downfall, they have also been effective at discouraging the amount of illegal border-crossing into the state.

If you are concerned about your status as an immigrant in Virginia, you have nothing to fear as of now. With the exception of Alabama and Arizona, most states are relatively tolerant of immigrants that do not have a criminal record. If you are caught in immigration troubles, you need a lawyer to help you with your case. Maybe you lost your documents, or were discovered without a green card. A lawyer in your area can probably help to fight your case. You will want an attorney who knows the ins and outs of immigration laws, since this area of legislation is constantly changing. With a little help, you might be able to complete the documents you need to remain in the U.S.