Latinos are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, accounting for half of the nation's total growth in the past decade. Thus, this ever-growing voting block will undoubtedly have a significant impact in the upcoming presidential election, especially in key swing states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada. Historically, Latinos have voted Democratically ,with 67 percent of all Hispanics voting for Barack Obama in 2008. However, this could change if Republicans adopt smart, modern, pro-immigration policies.
While it’s true that not all immigrants are Hispanic, Latinos do make up more than 30 percent of immigrants with permanent residency status and account for 78 percent of the total illegal immigrants in the United States. As a result, immigration is an important issue to many Latinos.
At their convention in August, the Republican Party culminated another anti-immigration platform requiring employers to verify workers’ legal status, better securing our borders and denying federal aid to universities that allow illegal immigrant students to enroll at reduced rates. This crackdown on immigrants will not bode well for the Republicans in the upcoming election and does little to address the more than 12 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney feebly tried to address this issue by proposing a plan of self-deportation. In other words, if employers can make job conditions extremely unfavorable for illegal immigrants in the U.S., then these immigrants will have no choice but to willingly deport themselves in hopes they will find a better job market in their home country. This is not an effective solution and is a poor substitute for true immigration reform.
Republicans need to change their image and adopt immigration policies that work to help the millions of illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. One way to accomplish this is by supporting the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would allow illegal immigrants who entered the United States as minors to obtain permanent residency only after completing two years at an institute for higher education or serving two years in the military. Since its introduction in 2001, however, the DREAM Act has faced opposition from many Republicans who say the bill rewards illegal immigration and will have a negative impact on the economy. These accusations aren’t entirely true as the bill targets immigrants who were brought to the U.S. before the age of 16 often without full knowledge of their actions. In addition, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation estimate that the DREAM Act could potentially reduce deficits by about $1.4 billion and increase government revenues by $2.3 billion over the next 10 years.
Originally, Romney said he would veto the DREAM Act if elected president, but he has recently reconsidered elements of the act. Whether Romney is sincere in his beliefs or is just flip-flopping in an attempt to pander to Latinos, his stance is a step in the right direction, not just for Latinos, but for the sake of the Republican Party that will need Latino voters in future elections.
The Republican Party is starting to realize immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed beyond merely securing our borders. If, however, Republicans refuse to address the issue and continue to ignore the needs of the Hispanic community, then I strongly question the Republican Party’s ability to stay alive and relevant in a nation where the Latin-American voice is continually growing.
This is Jacob’s first article. Let him know how he did by sending all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
