Are Republican immigration reform opponents losing clout?

Mitt Romney's stinging defeat among Hispanic voters has led to a change of heart among many in the Republican Party who are now warning of even greater losses in the future if Republicans don't do a better job reaching out to the growing voting bloc, specifically on the immigration issue. But as the Republican chorus for reform is starting to increase, some in the party are continuing to champion strict anti-immigration policies.

"The conservative movement should have particular appeal to people in minority and immigrant communities who are trying to make it, and Republicans need to work harder than ever to communicate our beliefs to them," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a statement released immediately after Mitt Romney conceded the presidential election. President Obama received 70 percent of the Hispanic vote compared to Romney's 27 percent, according to the CBS News election night exit poll.

"What I'm talking about is a common sense, step-by-step approach would secure our borders, allow us to enforce the laws, and fix a broken immigration system," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told ABC two days after the election.

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Graham on Hispanic vote: When you shoot yourself in the foot, don't reload gun

The following Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on "Face the Nation" that Republicans have "built a wall" between the party and Hispanics with their "tone and rhetoric."

"It's one thing to shoot yourself in the foot, just don't reload the gun. I intend not to reload this gun when it comes to Hispanics," Graham said. He also promised to pass immigration reform legislation.

In recent years, anti-immigration views have dominated the Republican Party's position. For instance, Gov. Jan Brewer, R-Ariz., signed a strict immigration measure into law in 2010 that allows for law enforcement officers to check immigration status based on suspicion. Critics say that leads to racial profiling. Many Republicans pointed to Arizona as a model for the rest of the country and similar legislation was enacted in Alabama and four other states before the Supreme Court struck down a large part of Arizona's law.

Despite the post-election shift in thinking among some Republicans, others are not on board.

"It's one of the greatest, fastest, flawed knee-jerk reactions I've ever seen," Bob Dane, communications director at the anti-immigration organization Federation for American Immigration Reform, told CBS News. He attributed the shift in position to Republicans "trying to figure out how to get right" with Hispanic voters.

Dane said Republicans are "setting the stage for their own self destruction." He said immigration reform that provides "amnesty," or providing a pathway for undocumented immigrants to receive legal status, would give Democrats "12 million government dependent voters that could usher in a one-party system in perpetuity." Dane was referring to the estimated number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

"An amnesty bill will split the Republican Party," Dane added.

"If Republicans think [immigrants] are automatically going to vote Democrat, they don't have much confidence in their own party's policies and they don't know Hispanics," Richard Land of the conservative Southern Baptist Convention told CBS News, who noted that Hispanics are family-oriented, entrepreneurial, religious and pro-life - characteristics associated with Republicans.

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[salesaffiliate]

We need to eradicate all bureaucratic obstacles which keeps the families of these immigrants apart for years. Reducing immigration is not the solution to our problems as Americans. Restricting legal immigration leads to people coming to our country illegally. Also, deportation is not the solution to our immigration problem. As we all know, deportation reduces the GDP of any country. We just need to update our current immigration laws so that immigrants can be encouraged to come to our country legally instead of illegally. We also need to legalize the hardworking undocumented immigrants that we have living in our country. Immigrants are hardworking and they come with new skills or talent. I can guarantee that if we legalize these undocumented immigrants, we as Americans will benefit from their talents and skills. Our economy will also grow if we legalize these undocument immigrants. The rest of the world will respect we Americans, if we renew our long tradition of welcoming immigrants into our beautiful country of America. The economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform are: http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj32n1/cj32n1-12.pdf

[recowger]

I think few Hispanics realized that voting democratic would involve Obama and his group. This group is the same as the group that ran Mexico for a long time and the common person suffered because of their failure to vote them out.
Now here we go, I say to Hispanics, Blacks and Women voters: "you made this mess and now you have to live in it by voting for Obama."
Romney would have been more logical and reasonable. So Sorry.

[FightForAmerica]

You are, unfortunately, quite true. Obama is, clearly,in bed with the Mexican government, whom everyone knows is the drug cartels' puppet. You do the math.

[ichibandan]

"When you to pay, it is not amnesty".

I guess you didn't grow up Catholic, Therealsk!

[ichibandan]

The Republicans are softening their stance on immigration a bit. Not because it's the morally correct thing to do. It's ONLY because they lost.They are still the party of rich white men. They won't be able to convince anyone otherwise when you have stuff like Arizona in the news constantly.Do you actually think Hispanics will forget Romney's " self-deport" comments or Republican efforts to suppress the Black and Hispanic votes? They are so deep in a hole, it will be a miracle if they don't implode in the mid-term elections.

[derekcranex]

Howie Carr in Boston says it best: "I don't want any special treatment, just treat me like an illegal alien."

[curtis41]

When Democrats pander excessively to Hispanic voters, Congress refuses to enforce current immigration laws and now Illinois wants driver licenses for illegal immigrants, we further create dependency on government for all things, for all people. Individual states foot the bills for the most part for medical care, education, transportation costs, infrastructure and the like for these illegal immigrants. Immigration problems are the province of both Republicans and Democrats, who have simply not addressed the problem, or even helped to support current immigration laws, and therefore, the problem grew on its own. Despite protestations to the contrary, one cannot (and should not) deport some 12 million or so illegal immigrants. My sense is Congress and the President need to sit down, address and fix the problem. That is somewhat of a novel idea, for it sure has not happened up until now.

[rightywhity]

Why cant we deport illeagals ?? We used to daily but we seem to have simply given up on enforcing the laws that are already on the books.. Why do I have to contribute my hard earned money to their welfare & health when their own government couldn't/wouldn't. I have no problem with leagal immigration, our nation was founded on that but back then the government didn't hand out welfare like it was water (water we dont even have at this point)

[Protect_US_Jobs]

We need to Stop Illegal immigration! They're not just doing jobs that Americans don't want. Do they pay taxes? Don't get me wrong most of these people work very hard, but are a drain on the system if they don't pay taxes, have healthcare coverage, learn the language or get paid wages that are in line with their American counterparts. Who's footing the bill for the education of their children and the infrastructure around them? We all know that the health care provided to uninsured illegals here in the states is being averaged into our hospital costs and our insurance premiums, which have PROPORTIONATELY increased along with illegal immigration over the last 20 years? These costs are also being passed along to Medicaid and Medicare, which means that not only are they increasing our insurance premiums, but that we're paying for them again with our tax dollars.

Our tax dollars and insurance premiums should not be used to recoup the cost of healthcare given to illegal immigrants, who shouldn't even be here in our country in the first place.

To the people that disagree, we should ask them should this: If a few illegal immigrants knocked on your door and demanded that you pay some medical bills for them, would you pay them?

Just look around and you'll see who's doing 90% of the residential renovations, construction and property maintenance jobs. That's certainly what we're seeing in the northeast. These are not just jobs that Americans don't want.

[rdthis]

The biggest fleecing of America are Mexican/So. American latins bullying the corrupted politicians around with their sob stories, threats, crying we say mean things about them, etc. Well guess what, it's true, we don't want you here living of everything we built. Our country will be splitting off and the American Dream you illegals pretend to cry about will be just a few states. The elderly, poor and disabled are paying for the corruption of the country next door and this administration, by blaming Americans for
being on 'entitlements', when it's Mexicans LaRaza, Casa de Maryland, latins Obama places in office using more entitlements than people in this country ever thought of using and they aren't even citizens. Now that Mexicans, etc. deliberately popped out enough babies to live off and take over they are using their overly worked being picked on boo hoos to make poliicians and Americans feel guilty. Guess what, your tactics only breed the opposite and resentment. To the Republicans:Follow the Constitution or get out of the business of guiding this country

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Unless the repub party sheds the hateful parts of it's agenda, dubya will go down in history as the very last repub president.

[Ulgnud]

Start by Obeying the US Constitution. I'll use Hollywoods comments as a starting point.

1) Legal Latinos have nothing to worry about. Only those who do not belong here.

2) Voter suppression? Another fairy tale.

3) Contraception is available out of pocket or if your plan provides it. Abortion? The feds have no authority there. It is a State matter. Read your Constitution.

4) State matter. Read your Constitution.

5) Santa Clause gave you Obamacare now. Too Bad.

6) LGBT They have all the rights the rest of us have. Does not mean we have to accept their lifestyle choices.

7) Unions have always been opposed and they are still here.

8) Cutting popular programs. If not Authorized by the US Constitution, definitely cut them.

9) Deficit problems and tax cuts? No one has the right to steal someones money and give it to someone else. If we tried that we would be in prison for it.

America is the land of opportunity. Not the land of handout dependent mooches.

Whichever party starts obeying the US Constitution will get my support.

[lgjhere]

An interesting new book that helps explain the role, struggles, and contributions of immigrants and minorities is "What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more." It paints a revealing picture of America for those who will benefit from a better understanding. Endorsed by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it also informs Americans who want to learn more about the U.S. and how we compare to other countries around the world on many issues.
As the book points out, immigrants and minorities are a major force in America, as the GOP recently discovered. Immigrants and the children they bear account for 60 percent of our nation's population growth and own 11 percent of US businesses and are 60 percent more likely to start a new business than native-born Americans. They represent 17 percent of all new business owners (in some states more than 30 percent). Foreign-born business owners generate nearly one-quarter of all business income in California and nearly one-fifth in the states of New York, Florida, and New Jersey.
Legal immigrants number 850,000 each year; undocumented (illegal) immigrants are estimated to be half that number. They come to improve their lives and create a foundation of success for their children to build upon, as did the author's grandparents when they landed at Ellis Island in 1899 after losing 2 children to disease on a cramped cattle car-like sailing from Europe. Many bring skills and a willingness to work hard to make their dreams a reality, something our founders did four hundred years ago. In describing America, chapter after chapter identifies "foreigners" who became successful in the US and contributed to our society. However, most struggle in their efforts and need guidance, be they in Beantown or Anytown, USA. Perhaps intelligent immigration reform, concerned Americans and books like this can extend a helping hand. www.AmericaAtoZ.com