Strong majorities of both Hispanics and Blacks think the government should do more to secure the border and give job-hungry Americans the chance to do jobs currently taken by illegal aliens, a new national poll of likely voters shows.

Fully 63% of Hispanics and 57% of Blacks say the government is not doing enough to enforce U.S. immigration laws, according to the survey by The Polling Company, Inc. Likewise, 78% of Whites and 74% of all respondents want tighter border security.

What's more, 71% of Blacks and 63% of Hispanics believe the government "has a responsibility" to protect job-hungry Americans "from competition with illegal immigrants." About three-quarters of Whites (77%) and all respondents (74%) agree that the government has a duty to protect Americans from job competition by illegal aliens.

More than three times as many Hispanics and Blacks agree as disagree that "Americans who need work ought to have the opportunity to do the jobs that are currently done by illegal aliens":

Hispanics: 73% Agree, 21% Disagree

Blacks: 70% Agree, 22% Disagree

Whites: 83% Agree, 12% Disagree

Total: 81% Agree, 14% Disagree

When Welfare benefits are added to the mix, a majority of Blacks (53%) support encouraging illegal aliens to go home by keeping them from getting jobs and Welfare benefits in the U.S., while Hispanics are about evenly split (48% oppose, 46% support). Whites more strongly support this tactic (71% vs. 24%), as do all respondents (67% to 27%).

Three-quarters (75%) of all respondents say that, if U.S. businesses are having trouble finding workers, they should raise wages and improve work conditions - not seek more workers from other countries - a view shared by 86% of Blacks, 71% of Hispanics and 73% of Whites.

Nationally, only 8% of all respondents say more immigrant workers should be allowed in the country to take these unfilled jobs.