Republicans are reacting with outrage to a newly leaked White House proposal for immigration reform, a plan they characterize as too lenient.

The President’s draft proposal would essentially allow immigrants to wander across the border whenever they pleased, once they submit biometric information to the federal government, pass a criminal background check, apply for a visa, wait for four years after that and then re-apply for another visa, and then formalize the paperwork after four more years, assuming they’ve complied with all the formal legal requirements in the meantime. The President’s proposal would also increase security funding and require business owners to check the immigration status of new hires.

via GOP Outraged At Obama’s Lax Immigration Policy Of Deporting Most In History | The Daily Dolt.

And the poll data.

Half of Americans said President Barack Obama has the better approach to immigration reform than Republicans in Congress while pluralities gave him the nod on the federal budget deficit and gun policies, according to the inaugural USA Today/Pew Research Center pollreleased Thursday.

Fifty percent of those surveyed said they prefer Obama on immigration, while just 33 percent said the congressional GOP has a better approach to the issue. Obama claims a nearly identical edge over the likes of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) on guns and the deficit.

On gun laws, 45 percent said Obama’s approach is better compared with 39 percent who said Republicans on Capitol Hill. The poll showed Obama with a 45 percent to 38 percent advantage over the GOP on the federal budget deficit. The widest disparity came on climate change, to which 47 percent said the President has the best approach while just a little more than a quarter of respondents said Republicans are better-suited to deal with the issue.

[full poll]

Curious polling sidenote…USA Today has dropped Gallup (because they suck so bad) in favor of a non-partisan polling outfit.