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California Republicans are taking a different tack on undocumented immigrants, softening the party's language to appeal to more voters. The language adopted Saturday does not eliminate the party's opposition to "amnesty" for those in the United States illegally, but it does recognize that Republicans hold diverse views on what to do with the millions of otherwise law-abiding folks who are currently here illegally, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The policy change eliminates a platform plankthat states: Allowing illegal immigrants to remain in California undermines respect for the law.

Immigration has been a major issue in GOP presidential campaign circlesever since Donald Trump launched his campaign and alleged Mexico purposely sends rapists and other criminals across the border. Both those for and against immigration agree the country's current system is broken.

Efforts in Congress to reform U.S. immigration policy have gone nowhere for years despite bipartisan legislation, including the so-called DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) that would have instituted a multiphase process to grant conditional residency to undocumented immigrants who grew up in the United States.

Lack of congressional action pushed President Barack Obama in 2014 to issue a number of executive orders to reduce the number of deportations for about half the more than 11 million immigrants in the country without permission.

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (second from right) is confronted by pro-immigration protesters in New York, May 7, 2015. Getty Images/Spencer Platt

Pew Research indicated about half the undocumented immigrants are from Mexico, though their numbers are declining. Sixty percent of undocumented immigrants live in six states -- California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, but the population is growing elsewhere, including in Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Pew said undocumented immigrants make up 5.1 percent of the labor force, the highest proportions in Nevada (10 percent), California (9 percent), Texas (9 percent) and New Jersey (8 percent), and 7 percent of the elementary and secondary school population.

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Immigration Reform 2015: California Republicans Soften ...

'The strong bipartisan vote we took is going to send a message,' Chuck Schumer said. | REUTERS

By Seung Min Kim

06/27/13, 04:25 PM EDT

Updated 06/28/13, 12:19 AM EDT

The Senate on Thursday passed the most monumental overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in a generation, which would clear the way for millions of undocumented residents to have a chance at citizenship, attract workers from all over the world and devote unprecedented resources for security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The vote was 68-32. Fourteen Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with all Democrats in favor. Thursdays vote now puts the onus of immigration reform on the Republican-led House, where leaders have been resistant to the Senate legislation.

The strong bipartisan vote we took is going to send a message across the country, its going to send a message to the other end of the Capitol as well, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the leader of the so-called Gang of Eight. The bill has generated a level of support that we believe will be impossible for the House to ignore.

( Also on POLITICO: Republicans who voted for the bill)

The bill was a product of not only weeks of floor debate and committee rewrites, but months of private negotiations by the Gang of Eight the group of four Democrats and four Republicans to produce legislation that would give the Senate a shot at passing immigration reform, something it was unable to do just six years ago.

Republicans, shellacked by Mitt Romneys 44-point loss among Latinos in the 2012 presidential election, almost immediately coalesced behind immigration reform as a top priority. The Gang of Eight got together last fall and recruited veterans of the 2007 immigration battle such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), long-time champions of reform such as Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and high-wattage Senate newcomers, like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

If Congress passes immigration reform, it would make good on a promise from President Barack Obama and likely become his most significant policy achievement in his second term. In a statement, Obama emphasized that the bill was collaborative effort.

( PHOTOS: Pols react to immigration deal)

The bipartisan bill that passed today was a compromise, Obama said. By definition, nobody got everything they wanted. Not Democrats. Not Republicans. Not me. But the Senate bill is consistent with the key principles for commonsense reform that I and many others have repeatedly laid out.

He called on the House to act and emphasized to supporters that the fight is not over. Now is the time when opponents will try their hardest to pull this bipartisan effort apart so they can stop commonsense reform from becoming a reality. We cannot let that happen, Obama said.

The Gang of Eight bill would essentially revamp every corner of U.S. immigration law, establishing a 13-year pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, with several security benchmarks that have to be met before they can obtain a green card. The measure would not only increases security along the border, but requires a mandatory workplace verification system for employers, trying to ensure no jobs are given to immigrants who are not authorized to work in the United States.

( PHOTOS: 10 wild immigration quotes)

It also includes a new visa program for lesser-skilled workers the product of negotiations between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor unions. And it shifts the countrys immigration policies away from a family-based system to one that is focused on more on work skills.

In another marked change from the failed 2007 effort, no Democrats voted against the immigration bill on Thursday. Six years ago, 15 Senate Democrats did.

This year, all five Senate Republican leaders rejected the bill, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) saying he didnt believe there was sufficient border-security measures to stem future illegal immigration.

The late afternoon vote in the Senate had much pomp and circumstance. Senators voted from their desks, a practice usually saved for historic pieces of legislation. Vice President Joe Biden arrived from the White House to preside. And dozens of young activists wearing shirts that said 11 Million Dreams filled the Senate gallery, watching the last hours of floor debate.

( PHOTOS: 20 quotes on immigration reform)

They broke out in chants of Yes we can, after the final vote count was announced, despite being warned by Biden in advance to stay quiet.

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Immigration reform bill 2013 : Senate passes legislation ...

The Senator has just been amazing on the issue, Trump told reporters as he met with Sessions, shortly after Trump had spoken at a rally against President Barack Obamas Irandeal.

The two met on the Capitol steps and walked inside for a confidential, unannounced meeting.

Its time to restore a lawful system [of immigration] we can be proud of thats essential, I think, at this point in history, Sessions added.

Last month,Trump shattered the D.C.s pro-immigration regime by meeting with Sessions, and issuing a policy paperthat closely matched Sessionss low-immigration, high-wage goals.

In a clear display that the GOP frontrunner values the Senators support on the issue, Trump held a stadium-rally before a30,000 crowdin the Senators home town of Mobile, Alabama, in which he invited the Senator to join him on stage.

Sen. Sessions is widelyregardedas the gold standard on immigration reform. Sessions esteemed reputation on the issuehas been well-earned. He led the fight to stop the immigration expansion effort of 2006 and 2007 and was the first to leadthe chargeto derail the 2013 Gang of Eight bill.

Trump is not the only GOP candidate to trumpet his ties to the Senator.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), for instance, has suggested he would makethe Senator a member of his cabinet if Cruz were elected president. I think Jeff Sessions would extraordinary, to be honest, in a number of positions in the cabinet, Cruz told Cliff Sims, editor of Yellowhammer News.I think it would be a difficult choice which would be the ideal place for him, Cruzsaid.

It is not surprising that presidential candidates have sought the guidance and support of the Alabama Senator, who has quickly become the leading authority in the Republican Party on appealing to the blue collar voters who have been abandoned by their political leaders.

Trump rise in the polls is largely attributable to his ability to tap into this pro-American sentiment.Congress is not responding to the will of the people, absolutely, Trump said when asked about his views on the Iran deal.

Indeed, Trumpscampaignplatform has focused almost exclusively onprioritizing the interests and needsof the American people.

For instance, his campaign has been fueled bya populist focuson policiesthat prioritizeblue-collar American workers and legal immigrants already here above special interests corporatist elites, who for decades have pushed trade and immigration legislation that would drive down wages toincrease their companies bottom lines.

Polling data shows that if Trump continues to message on a populisttrade and immigration agenda, he will continue to see his poll numbers rise.

Trump is now winning a huge share of the Democrats non-white base 25 percent of African Americans, 31 percent of Hispanics and 41 percent of the relatively small Asian vote, as Breitbart News has previouslyreported.

These polls confirm the assertions of Jamelle Bouie, chief political correspondent for liberal Slate magazine,who has explainedthat Trumps wage-earner immigration platform could allow him win African-American voters. Part of [the Republican Partys ability to win back African American voters] might just be harnessing anxiety about immigration, about the fact that immigrants are typically filling low wage jobs, and are in some cases competing with African-American workers, Bouie said. Trump, I think, might be banking on that fact. And its not a bad play as far as strategy goes.

Anyone who wants to sit in the Oval Office must promote trade and immigration plan that improve jobs and wages for Americans, Sessions later said in a written statement.

Trumps trade and immigration policies would serve the national interestinstead ofspecial interests, Sessions added:

Wages are lower today than in 1973. We have already accumulated $442 billion in trade deficits this year alone. The Census bureau projects that new immigration into the U.S. will break all known records. Countless Americans, including millions of African-American and Hispanic workers, are hurting. The record admission of new foreign workers, combined with a weak trade policy that sends our jobs overseas, have decimated middle class incomes. But Americas global elites continue to push trade and immigration policies that further reduce wages, increase joblessness and destabilize our communities. Mr. Trump has outlined trade and immigration policies that serve the national interest, not the special interests. Anyone who wants to sit in the Oval Office must promote trade and immigration plan that improve jobs and wages for Americans.

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Donald Trump Huddles With Jeff Sessions on Immigration

A conservative group of Latinos has denounced the immigration policies touted by several Republican presidential contenders, including current front-runner Donald Trump. The LIBREInitiative, which describes itself as advancing "the principles and values of economic freedom to empower the U.S. Hispanic community so it can thrive and contribute to a more prosperous America," sent an open letter Wednesday urging"all Americans" to reject proposals for mass deportation and ending birthright citizenship.

In particular,Daniel Garza, the executive director of theLIBREInitiative and author of the letter, wrote in part that proposals to end the legal right to citizenship for all children born onU.S. soil regardless of the parent's status, as well as deporting law-abiding undocumented immigrants, "are not in line with our principles and are not in the best interest of the country."

Without naming any names, the letter seemed directly aimed at Republican presidential hopefuls, led by Trump and hisanti-immigration rhetoricbut likely including others who have taken a hard line, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal andWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

As recently as last week, Trump's stance on immigration spurred aprotest following a speech he delivered in New Yorkpledginghis allegiance to the Republican Party and promising not to run as a third party candidate. In that instance, an impromptu demonstration was staged, including a man dressed in a Ku Klux Klan-style white robe toting a sign that read,"MAKE AMERICA RACIST AGAIN!"

TheLIBREInitiative is funded by the Koch brothers, the conservative billionaires who backmanyRepublican candidates, according to NPR.

Originally posted here:
Immigration Reform 2015: Conservative Latino Group Blasts ...

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., defended his bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, which passed the Senate in 2013.

"I'm proud of the legislation that I worked across the aisle to address the issue," McCain said at his central Phoenix campaign headquarters, via AZCentral. "The disappointment, obviously, is with the House of Representatives for not acting."

The Senate bill, S.744"Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act," received bipartisan support during the 113th Congress, including support from two current Republican presidential candidates. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were co-sponsors of the bill and voted in favor on June 27, 2013.

Despite receiving a majority of votes, 68-32, the next legislative chamber -- the House of Representatives -- never picked up S. 744 for debate.

"I know that many on the right were not persuaded because they didn't act in the House of Representatives," McCain said. "And my question to them is -- and I think it's legitimate, and they've never responded -- give me your solution to the problem."

The Senate bill called for several hundred miles of fencing on the southern U.S. border, in addition to an employment verification system for all employed, potentially-undocumented immigrants. The bill also included training for nearly 38,405 full-time active duty U.S. Border Patrol agents, and it would have allowed the U.S. Attorney General to increase the number of immigration court judges and reform the visa process.

"I said we needed to build a fence, and I was one of those who shaped legislation that passed the United States Senate that calls for 20,000 additional Border Patrol [agents]," continued McCain. "Six-and-a-half billion dollars to build the fence, and I'm proud of that."

Despite being a co-sponsor, Rubio has strayed away from S. 744. Earlier this year, before announcing his presidential bid, Rubio said a discussion on immigration could not take place unless it is proven the issue can be controlled. Rubio said the current legal immigration system is "too generous" and there is no mechanism to enforce current laws.

In May, Rubio said he still believes in comprehensive immigration reform, but "the problem is the votes aren't there in the House."

"If we want to move forward on immigration reform, the first thing we are going to have to do is prove to the American people that future illegal immigration is under control," said Rubio.

Graham maintainedhis support for the bill, and said opposition would further divide the Republican Party and Latinos. He said in June, "If we become the party of self deportation, if that again is our position in 2016, we're going to drive a deeper wedge between us and Hispanics."

"A pathway to citizenship, after you secure the border, control who gets a job, more legal immigration where they have to pass a criminal background check, learn the English language, wait 10 years before you can apply for a green card," said Graham, later adding, "If you solve the immigration problem in a good, American, responsible way, our party's back in the game and we can dominate the 21st century."

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeOor contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

Tagsimmigration, Immigration Reform, John McCain, Marco Rubio, Republican Party, GOP, Election 2016, 2016 presidential election

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Immigration Reform News: Sen. John McCain Defends ...