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California GOP Softens Stance On Immigration

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The California Republican Party has voted to soften its stance on immigration, seeking to appeal to the state's growing Latino population and distance itself from the harsh rhetoric of presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The Los Angeles Times reports the changes approved Sunday say Republicans "hold diverse views" on "what to do with the millions of people who are currently here illegally."

The newspaper says although the new language emphasizes opposition to "amnesty," it removes the statement that "allowing illegal immigrants to remain in California undermines respect for the law."

The changes were proposed by a Latino party official from Fresno, Marcelino Valdez, in reaction to what he called Trump's "offensive" comments about immigrants.

Trump has suggested that that Mexicans coming across the border are largely "criminals and rapists."

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

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