Politico reported today that 59 percent of Americans -- 61 percent of Democrats and independents and 59 percent of Republicans -- want Congress to pass
“„Indeed, the political rush to see who can be tougher on immigration has angered and confused many Latino political leaders, who expected the Obama administration to push for liberalized immigration rules this year.
“„“In my community, my family, I can tell you that we don’t appreciate being used as a political wedge issue,” said Crispin Rea, a Kansas City school board member. “Are you telling me that if I am riding through Maricopa County with my four cousins, who are proudly serving their nation in the Marines right now, that we will have to prove to some cowboy sheriff how American we are?” [...]
“„The Latino vote in Nevada could be critical: Hispanics are 26 percent of the state’s population. In Missouri, by contrast, Hispanics are just 3 percent of the population, which may explain why the state’s politicians are often more aggressive on illegal immigration issues.
“„It may also explain why a mid-July Mason-Dixon poll showed 69 percent of Missourians support an Arizona-like law giving authorities the power to ask for proof of legal immigration status from suspects stopped for another violation. Only 25 percent of those surveyed oppose such a law.