COURTING LATINOS: In back-to-back appearances before 700 attendees at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference, John McCain and Barack Obama both affirmed their commitment to immigration reform. As the fastest growing minority in the United States, Latinos could tip the vote in some states—if they vote as a bloc.

In the last presidential election, 40% of the Latino vote went to George W. Bush, a Republican record. But in four of the six states where Latinos are an important fraction of the voters, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico, Bush won by a margin of only 5% or less. And even though Hillary Clinton outpolled Obama 2-to-1 with Latinos, polls now show Obama leading McCain by a similar margin.

How McCain Will Handle Immigration if Elected

McCain cosponsored a bill for comprehensive immigration reform, including amnesty, which died in the Senate about a year ago. Since then, he has focused more on border security than on larger immigration issues.

He supports the following:

• Borders—Increase security, not only along border with Mexico, but also for cargo at ports
• Diplomacy—Build strong allies with Central and South American countries that have similar goals and ideologies as the United States
• Regulation—Reduce rules and paperwork so that employers can afford to hire the best person for the job
• Assimilation—Provide opportunities for immigrants to learn English, American history, civics and respect for America's democratic values

During his speech, McCain said, "I ... twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders; ensure respect for the laws of this country; recognize the important economic necessity of immigrant laborers; apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes; and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did. ..." (JohnMcCain.com, 6/28/08)

How Obama Will Handle Immigration if Elected

Although he agrees with McCain that increased border security is a priority, Obama said, "If we think that a wall is the sole solution to the problem, then we're not thinking it through." (Los Angeles Times, 6/29/08)

Obama said he will support legislative measures that deal with the following:

• Borders—Increase personnel and technology at the borders and entry points
• System—Change burdensome bureaucracy; allow immigration to keep families together and populate the job pool
• Employers—Penalize those who hire illegal immigrants
• Amnesty—Allow well-behaved illegals to apply for citizenship after paying a fine and learning English
• Mexico—Reduce incentive to immigrate by encouraging economic development in Mexico

"We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws," Obama said. "That is a priority I will pursue from my very first day." (Los Angeles Times, 6/29/08)

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Question for Readers:

Do you think immigration reform is more important to Latinos or to whites who lived in the states on or close to the Mexican border?