Do they have clout in immigration reform debate?
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Immigration reform promises to be a hot political topic in 2006 at a time when office seekers of both major parties are assessing the importance of the Hispanic vote. Will the increasing Hispanic population translate into voting power? Hispanics make up the largest minority group, but they include millions of illegal residents and youths under 18. Whether the Hispanic vote will have a major impact on the immigration debate is something the political pros will have to assess. But Hispanic influence on the issue can be expected to grow. Hispanics are generally concerned with broadening legal avenues for immigrants to work in the United States and for regularizing the status of illegal residents already here with steady jobs. This could balance the push for stricter border controls by hard-line proponents of stopping the flow of illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexican border. Both parties share an interest in reaching the expanding Hispanic electorate. – – – Crisis
