Taking a Tough Stand on Illegal Immigration
by Valerie Richardson

04/13/2010

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36478

Staking out a tough stance on illegal immigration and border security is practically the price of admission in many of the 2010 Republican primary races.

Even though some polls show that illegal immigration is not currently a top issue in the minds of voters—immigration ranks 18th out of 20 issues in a January 2010 Pew Research Center survey—the issue has never lost its resonance with many conservative Republicans, those most likely to vote in primary elections.

And interest in the issue has benefited from the surge of Tea Party activists now infiltrating the state and local Republican Party structures.

The result is a rash of GOP primary dogfights in which staunch border-security advocates showcase their credentials, while those with shakier records scramble to establish their bona fides.

One example lies in Florida's Senate race. Former House Speaker Marco Rubio has been criticized for not doing more to push anti-illegal immigration bills during his years in the legislature, but he's since toughened his position during his campaign for the GOP nomination.

"Rubio wasn't real proactive [on illegal immigration]—he sat on stuff while he was speaker—but he never pushed against it," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. "Now he's talking against it."

Rubio has spoken out in favor of securing the border and e-verify for employers, while depicting Republican rival Gov. Charlie Crist as pro-amnesty. Rubio has also tried to cast foes of open borders in a more positive light.

"The Republican Party, I think unfortunately, has been cast as the anti-illegal immigration party," said Rubio during his debate with Crist on “Fox News Sunday.â€