Bachmann referred to Perry’s statement at last week’s debate that opponents of the Texas Dream Act “didn’t have a heart,” which Perry has since walked back.

“Last week, we conservatives were accused of not having a heart,” Bachmann said. “Nothing could be further from the truth, but it’s just that we have a mind to go with that heart.”

Bachmann’s ad, which was posted Thursday represents yet another attempt by the candidate to regain the support of conservatives, who abandoned her in droves after Perry entered the race. Bachmann has been falling in most polls, although she’s recently seen a slight surge in Iowa.

Bachmann says in the video that immigration policies like in-state tuition for the children of undocumented immigrants have “created chaos on our borders.”

“We can’t settle for a president that thinks building a fence to secure the border is on its face ‘idiocy,’” Bachmann said, vowing to build a border fence and again referring to comments by Perry. “Just because we have policy differences doesn’t make us any less compassionate.”

But despite laws such as Arizona’s SB 1070 that increased fears of anti-immigrant backlash, the number who reported experiencing discrimination remained nearly the same as it was in 2009, at about 33 percent. The number of Latinos who said they had been asked for papers actually went down a few percentage points, from nine percent in 2008 to five percent in the most recent poll.

While Latinos largely dislike laws like SB 1070 — 79 percent said they opposed it, versus 32 percent percent of Americans overall who opposed the law — and think immigration enforcement should be left to federal authorities, they differ on how the country should handle illegal immigration. Here’s a breakdown on what Latinos said should be done with undocumented immigrants already in the country:

Most Latinos polled said they disapprove of other enforcement measures such as workplace raids or more fences along the border. About half support the idea of more border patrol agents, though, and most said they would support a national ID card.

The poll also adds some interesting perspective to the debate over so-called “anchor babies,” or the practice of illegal immigrants coming to the country to have children who will be U.S. citizens. While 30 percent of Latinos said illegal immigrants come to the United States to have a child here, 64 percent said this was untrue. Republican politicians have said birthright citizenship creates an incentive for illegal immigration, and some plan to propose legislation ending the practice in their states.

“The first thing that has to be done is secure the border,” Miller said Sunday. “East Germany was very, very able to reduce the flow. Now, obviously, other things were involved. We have the capacity to, as a great nation, secure the border. If East Germany could, we could.”

Looking past the fact East Germany had more trouble keeping its residents in than keeping immigrants out, how much would it cost to implement East Germany-style border security?

First, it would require building a fence along the country’s borders, which could cost as much as $49 billion over a 25-year lifespan of the fence, according to a non-partisan Congressional Research Service report. That cost accounts for up to $70 million per mile for construction and upkeep of the fence, which would likely be damaged by would-be border crossers. Plus, there would be the cost of acquiring private land along the borders, hiring private contractors for construction and increased staffing of Border Patrol and customs agents along the borders.

Murkowski, who is challenging Miller with a write-in campaign, also supports a border fence. She voted the approve the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which allowed for a fence to be constructed along 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border — still a far cry from creating a fence along the entire 1,950-mile border.

That isn’t because more people are crossing the border: Overall border crossings are still down, according to the Border Patrol. But those who do cross the border are often funneled through the most dangerous routes to avoid detection by Border Patrol agents, according to NPR:

In recent years, the U.S. government has built a border fence, improved technology and hired thousands more Border Patrol agents.

That has helped reduce the number of people caught crossing illegally, but it’s also pushed crossers into more remote and dangerous places to avoid detection. Places where sore feet or a broken ankle can mean death from dehydration or exposure. [...]

Agent Mario Escalante blames the increases on human smugglers who lure naive crossers into dangerous situations.

“They weren’t told that they were gonna have to walk for days. They weren’t told that they were gonna have to go over mountain ranges. They weren’t told that they were gonna have to sleep in the hot desert or maybe the cold desert,” Escalante says.

Bodies in these areas are often found long after the individuals have died, making their identities even more difficult to determine. In an effort to keep more migrants alive, humanitarian groups such as the Tuscon-based No More Deaths leave water bottles in the desert for illegal immigrants. They argue it is a humanitarian issue, not an effort to aid in illegal border crossing. But because the border region is mostly federal land, members of the group have been arrested for leaving trash in a national refuge. Anti-illegal immigration groups, such as the Minutemen, reportedly often slash the bottles to drain the water.

The Obama administration has been trying to determine how to follow up on the Bush-era Merida Initiative, a three-year program started in 2008 to provide $1.6 billion in equipment and training to governments in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

While drug cartel violence continues to rise, the Mexican government at times fails to act on intelligence from the U.S. — sometimes due to corruption, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. officials trust Mexican President Felipe Calderon, but are less sure of others in the Mexican government, Alonzo R. Pena, deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the Tribune.

Still, Clinton’s statements affirmed the administration’s commitment to aiding Mexico in its fight against the drug cartels — the question is how. Clinton argued the U.S. should work with Mexico and Central American countries on a program like the one that helped Colombia’s government regain control from militants.

It’s a tricky balance to determine the right way forward, because the nationalistic Mexican government is wary of more active support from the U.S., experts told the Tribune:

Eric Olson, of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Center, said he senses from conversations with administration officials that “the administration still seems handcuffed by the lack of reliable partners at the operational level.”

Olson said that while he was reluctant to be alarmist, “I don’t think anybody thinks this has gotten to the bottom.”

Among the U.S. population, concern about violence in Mexico has so far largely focused on fear of spillover violence in the U.S. But putting up border fences and increasing patrol will not solve the drug cartel problem in Mexico, experts have said, and the U.S. has some responsibility because its citizens purchase many of the drugs that allow cartels to thrive.

Immigrants rights groups in the U.S., at least, should attempt to lean on the Mexican government to prevent atrocities like the mass murder of 72 would-be migrants in August, Hector Tobar argued in the Los Angeles Times today.

At least 400 mass kidnappings are carried out in Mexico each year, Tobar wrote, and immigrants rights groups should be protesting at Mexican consulates and fighting for more humanitarian aid:

Simply put: It’s wrong that people have to undertake the journey to the U.S. in the first place. People shouldn’t have to leave the land of their ancestors, their extended families, their barrios and their farms.

They leave because the promise of democracy in Mexico and Central America remains unfulfilled.

The Tamaulipas murders are really just the most sickening expression of a vast system of inequality and corruption that still defines life for millions of people.

Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, who earlier this week accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of trying to steal credit for the border security bill, said in a statement the bill is “just a start” to implementing their 10-point security plan:

The bill that passed today does not include nearly enough funding for the other priorities we have been fighting for, including, for example, funding to fully implement Operation Streamline in the Tucson Border Patrol Sector, funding to dramatically increase the number of Customs inspectors at ports of entry in both the Tucson and Yuma areas, and funding to double the capacity of the Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC), which provides information about immigration status to federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. Unfortunately, Democrats have repeatedly refused our attempts to boost border security for these and other programs.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also called for further measures before he would trust the Obama administration’s commitment to border security: “Only time will tell if passage of this legislation means the administration is finally getting serious about controlling our borders instead of rewarding illegality.”

“Americans have demanded a real fence to combat the very real problems of illegal immigration that have led to human trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping and violence on our border,” DeMint said in a statement. “Congress will never be able to achieve long-term reform to create a legal immigration system that works until we secure our borders.”

The amendment will require the support of 60 senators to pass. Last year’s version attracted only 54.

h/t: The Hill.

- If Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) don’t introduce an immigration bill in three weeks, Democrats will bring their own bill forward, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday, according to aides and lobbyists. The Hill also reported Wednesday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is “fine” with the Senate taking up immigration reform before climate change legislation. “If they [the Senate] can do immigration first, that is fine,” a Pelosi aide told The Hill. But Graham, who is also working on the climate bill with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), said Congress is not ready to take up immigration reform yet. “This comes out of left field,” he said. “We haven’t done anything to prepare the body or the country for immigration.”

- The Arizona state Senate passed a controversial immigration bill Monday. Senate bill 1070 (“Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act”), one of the toughest immigration bills in the country, would require law enforcement officers to ask anyone they suspect of being illegal about their legal status, prohibit blocking traffic when seeking work (to target immigrant day laborers) and ban “sanctuary cities.” The legislation was passed by a vote of 17-11 — only one Republican senator joined all voting Democrats in voting against the legislation. Republican Governor Jan Brewer has until Saturday to sign or veto SB 1070. Numerous civil rights groups and lawmakers, including New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), have been adamantly opposed to the legislation and have urged Brewer to veto it. Considering that 70 percent of Arizona voters favor this kind of legislation, many believe Brewer will sign the bill. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who supports the bill, and Democratic Arizona state Rep. Kyrsten Sinema talked about SB 1070 on CNN Wednesday. President Obama referenced the bill today, saying it threatens “to undermine basic notions of fairness.”

- On Monday, Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans from Arizona, announced a 10-point border security plan for Arizona they say will fight illegal immigration, drug and immigrant smuggling and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Their plan calls for the deployment of 3,000 National Guard troops to the southern Arizona border; the implementation of Operation Streamline, a program that has created a backlog of immigration cases and a rising number of immigrant detainees; and the completion of an unpopular border fence, among other measures.

- An appeals court has refused to reconsider its decision that prohibits Oklahoma from enforcing parts of House bill 1804, the 2007 anti-illegal immigration law intended to crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants. The court decided that at least two provisions of the bill are unenforceable. The Oklahoman reported earlier this week: “The case now will go back to U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron in Oklahoma City to decide whether she will turn her 2008 preliminary injunction against the law into a permanent injunction. One part of the law upheld by the appeals court requires businesses that contract with government agencies to verify the immigration status of job-seekers by using a federal database known as E-Verify.”

- “Eight law enforcement agencies in Virginia and Maryland have recently joined a sweeping federal program that aims to identify and deport illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes,” reported The Washington Post. The program, called Secure Communities, is part of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) effort that allows local law enforcement officers to check fingerprints against the FBI criminal database and the Department of Homeland Security’s biometric database to detain and remove criminal immigrants. There are now about about 150 jurisdictions in 19 states that participate in the program. ICE expects the program to be a nationwide resource by the end of 2013. On April 27, several civil rights groups and other activists will formally announce a lawsuit demanding records related to the “little-known” Secure Communities program and a national week-long campaign to raise awareness on the program.

- States are starting to get tough on illegal immigrants; Arizona is one example. But yesterday, Steve Chapman of Reason magazine wrote about how states’ and the country’s plans for cracking down on immigration are actually backfiring — the claims of anti-immigrant lawmakers and officers aren’t really accurate, and certain government initiatives, like the border fence, are actually helping keep immigrants, who would have gone back to their home country at some point, in the U.S. From the article: “The state [Arizona] has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants. But contrary to myth, they have not brought an epidemic of murder and mayhem with them. Surprise of surprises, the state has gotten safer. Over the last decade, the violent crime rate has dropped by 19 percent, while property crime is down by 20 percent. Crime has also declined in the rest of the country, but not as fast as in Arizona. [The] claim about police killings [by illegal immigrants] came as news to me. When I called his office to get a list of victims, I learned there has been only one since the beginning of 2008—deeply regrettable, but not exactly a trend. … If there is anything we’ve learned about getting tough on illegal immigration, it’s that it rarely works as intended. Like punching a wall, it may feel good for a moment, but it hurts a lot longer.”

- Rep. Gutierrez, who campaigned for Obama during his election and is one of the most outspoken advocates for immigration reform, is becoming increasingly displeased with the president’s stance on the issue. Gutierrez said Latinos could stay home in November if Congress and the administration fail to act on immigration reform, The Hill reported. He says the Latino community has lost patience with an administration that focuses on enforcement-only policies. Read more here.

- Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) sent a letter asking Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to stop the deportation of young immigrants who would be eligible to participate in the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, a bill that would give a pathway to undocumented students to become permanent residents and possibly citizens and facilitate their access to college, provided they meet a list of criteria. Read more here.

During the conference, McCain said immigration reform is a top priority, but border security should come first. The Hill reports:

‘The lesson is clear: First we have to secure the border,’ McCain said in a press conference. ‘If you want to enact some other reforms, how can that be effective when you have a porous border?…So we have to secure the border first,’ he added.

Here’s the entire plan, from a press release:

1. Immediately deploy 3,000 National Guard Troops along the Arizona/Mexico border, along with appropriate surveillance platforms, which shall remain in place until the Governor of Arizona certifies, after consulting with state, local and tribal law enforcement, that the Federal Government has achieved operational control of the border. Permanently add 3,000 Custom and Border Protection Agents to the Arizona/Mexico border by 2015.

2. Fully fund and support Operation Streamline in Arizona’s two Border Patrol Sectors to, at a minimum, ensure that repeat illegal border crossers go to jail for 15 to 60 days. Where Operation Streamline has been implemented, the number of illegal crossings has decreased significantly. Require the Obama Administration to complete a required report detailing the justice and enforcement resources needed to fully fund this program. Fully reimburse localities for any related detention costs.

3. Provide $100M, an increase of $40M, for Operation Stonegarden, a program that provides grants and reimbursement to Arizona’s border law enforcement for additional personnel, overtime, travel and other related costs related to illegal immigration and drug smuggling along the border.

4. Offer Hardship Duty Pay to Border Patrol Agents assigned to rural, high-trafficked areas, such as the CBP Willcox and Douglas Stations in the Tucson Sector.

5. Complete the 700 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico and construct double- and triple- layer fencing at appropriate locations along the Arizona-Mexico border.

6. Substantially increase the 25 mobile surveillance systems and three Predator B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in place today along the Arizona/Mexico border and ensure the border patrol has the resources necessary to operate the UAVs 24 hours a day seven days a week. Send additional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to the Arizona-Mexico Border.

7. Increase funding for vital radio communications and interoperability between CBP and state, local, and tribal law enforcement to assist in apprehensions along the border.

8. Provide funding for additional Border Patrol stations in the Tucson Sector and explore the possibility of an additional Border Patrol sector for Arizona. Create six additional permanent Border Patrol Forward Operating Bases, and provide funding to upgrade the existing bases to include modular buildings, electricity and potable water. Complete construction of the planned permanent checkpoint in Arizona. Deploy additional temporary roving checkpoints and increase horse patrols throughout the Tucson Sector.

9. Require the Federal government to fully reimburse state and local governments for the costs of incarcerating criminal aliens. Start by at least funding the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) at its authorized level of $950 million.

10. Place one full-time Federal Magistrate in Cochise County and provide full funding for and authorization of the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative to reimburse state, county, tribal, and municipal governments for costs associated with the prosecution and pre-trial detention of federally-initiated criminal cases declined by local offices of the United States Attorneys.

Lawmakers who favor comprehensive immigration reform say they’ll approve a verification program only as part of a larger package of reforms that include some opportunities for legalization of immigrants now living and working in the U.S. illegally. Many immigrants’ advocates complain that the E-Verify program and the database it relies upon are unreliable and too often create barriers to even legal immigrants and U.S. citizens seeking employment.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) complained that a plan he favored — to require double-layer fences along 700 miles of the border with Mexico  — was dropped from the Senate negotiations.