Clinton: Immigration fix needs path to citizenship

Democrat’s stand puts her squarely opposed to GOP reform efforts

LAS VEGAS — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that any immigration overhaul must include a path to “full and equal citizenship,” drawing a sharp contrast with Republicans who have promoted providing a legal status or blocked efforts in Congress to address the nation’s immigration system.

“This is where I differ with everybody on the Republican side. Make no mistake, today not a single Republican candidate, announced or potential, is clearly and consistently supporting a path to citizenship. Not one,” Clinton said, adding, “When they talk about legal status, that is code for second-class status.”

Boxing in opponents

Clinton’s remarks during her first campaign stop in Nevada underscored Democrats’ efforts to boxin Republican presidential candidates who have opposed a comprehensive bill including a pathway to citizenship. Republicans have said the changes must be made incrementally, beginning with stronger border security.

The issue of immigration resonates with many Hispanic-Americans, who backed President Barack Obama by wide margins over Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 and helped the president’s re-election campaign capture several hard-fought swing states, including Florida, Colorado and Nevada.

Clinton’s pitch to Latino voters came as two of her potential Republican rivals, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, have courted Hispanics and talked about ways to overhaul the immigration system while opposing Obama’s executive actions last year to shield millions of immigrants from deportation.

Obama’s executive actions loom large in the immigration debate. The orders included the expansion of a program protecting young immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Another provision extended deportation protections to parents of U.S. citizens.

Twenty-six states, including Texas, have sued to block the plan, and a New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel heard arguments on the challenges last month. A ruling is pending.

Supports Obama action

Clinton said she supported Obama’s actions and said she would defend “Dreamers” against Republican opposition while seeking ways to expand them if elected president.

“I don’t understand how anyone can look at these young people and think that we should break up more families or turn away young people with talent,” she said.

Her framing of the immigration debate has been watched by Latinos as Obama has struggled to pass reform legislation through Congress. And her remarks were received enthusiastically by immigration advocates.

“She called immigration reform central to her campaign and took a series of positions that will make Republican heads explode and Republican candidates shudder,” said Frank Sharry, the founder and executive director of America’s Voice, an immigration advocacy group.