September 19, 2015
By Chris Megerian

A delegate committee at the California Republican Party convention on Saturday approved softer language involving illegal immigration in its platform, a new attempt in a long-running effort to boost support among Latinos.

The changes come as the party's presidential primary has been roiled by heated rhetoric on the issue. New York real estate mogul Donald Trump, currently leading in the polls, has made his mark by urging crackdowns on immigrants in the country illegally.

A final vote on the new platform from all the delegates at the convention is scheduled for Sunday.

The new language was proposed by a Latino party official from Fresno, Marcelino Valdez, who wants the platform to be "more appealing to California's diverse electorate."

The changes don’t eliminate the party’s opposition to “amnesty,” but they say “Republicans hold diverse views” on “what to do with the millions of otherwise law-abiding folks who are currently here illegally.”

Yanked from the platform is the statement that “allowing illegal immigrants to remain in California undermines respect for the law.”

The changes were unsuccessfully opposed by delegates such as Jon Fleischman, a conservative writer who views adding ambiguous language as “sending a welcome card to millions of people around the world.”

Toning down the rhetoric is a good idea, he said, but hard if the party wants to value tough enforcement of immigration laws.

“How do you sugar coat” the view that “I believe you’re a criminal and you should leave?” Fleischman said.

http://www.latimes.com/local/politic...919-story.html