Fear and Loathing on the Immigration Trail
November 1, 2007
Author: Robert McMahon




Despite the death of a U.S. immigration reform bill earlier this year, the issue remains a hot topic. (AP Images/Bob Child)
Some expected the death of the comprehensive immigration-reform package in June to sideline the issue until the next round of federal elections. But concern over illegal immigration has only intensified. It has provoked fierce debates coast to coast, in Congress, and among presidential contenders from both major parties. The New York state governor’s plan to issue drivers licenses to illegal immigrants is the latest flash point (NYT), prompting divisions even among Democrats who are generally united on plans to reform the country’s immigration system. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was attacked by her rivals in an October 30 debate for equivocating when she said the licensing plan made sense but stressed she “did not say that it should be done.â€