Voters on immigration: Action, please
In Arizona, it's the most important issue among likely voters. But consensus on how to act is elusive.
Much of America hit the pause button this fall on the flaming debate over illegal immigration, once it became clear Congress would not act before the election. But not Arizona.
Here in a state where the wave of border crossers is so great that it washes over every aspect of life, illegal immigration is a flash point in virtually every political race this fall. Moreover, there's a candidate for every view – from those saying "send 'em back and bar the door" to those who'd provide a path for citizenship for some undocumented workers.
Randy Graf, a Republican who hopes to win the open seat in a House district that sits on the border, is one who takes a tough stance. As he led a biker rally against illegal immigration on Sunday, someone handed him a frayed denim vest that "used to belong to an illegal alien." When Mr. Graf put it on, the crowd cheered. But the theatrics went too far, and his face blanked when the giver joked: "It has a bullet hole in the back."
Graf is in an uphill battle to hold the Eighth Congressional District for the Republicans. Predecessor Rep. Jim Kolbe, who is retiring, holds a more moderate view of immigration reform, as does Graf's Democratic challenger, Gabrielle Giffords. But Graf is banking that a majority of voters in this district feel as he does – and there are signs that Arizonans are, indeed, worked up over illegal immigration.
"Our surveys show that immigration is the most important issue for likely voters in this state," says Fred Solop, a political scientist at Northern Arizona University and director of the Social Research Laboratory there. But voters aren't distinguishing between competing proposals, he adds: "They just want something to be done."
The state's all-Republican congressional delegation – some of whom are in unexpectedly close contests for reelection – is deeply divided on the immigration issue. Sharing Representative Kolbe's view are Rep. Jeff Flake, in the upscale Phoenix suburb of Mesa, and the very popular Sen. John McCain. They'd like to see an approach to immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for some of the 12 million people now in the US illegally.
On the other side are Graf and Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who represents the also-upscale Fifth Congressional District in Scottsdale. They say their colleagues' plan amounts to amnesty for illegal immigrants and would reward people for breaking the law. The nation must secure its borders first, they say. Then there's Sen. Jon Kyl, up for reelection this year, who favors expanding a guestworker program but who would also require undocumented workers to leave the US before applying for citizenship.
"Arizona is a microcosm of the nation when it comes to views on this issue. We're ground zero for the debate," says Farrell Quinlan, a spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce in Phoenix. "Our economy is growing, and a lot of industries have grown to rely on that source of labor."
Senator McCain's approach is to put party loyalty ahead of immigration differences. He has endorsed both Graf and Representative Hayworth, rather than candidates whose views on immigration are closer to his own. He is also stumping for Senator Kyl.
