Immigration hot topic in US mid-terms
Immigration reform is one of the main issues preoccupying American voters as they go to the polls in Tuesday's (7 November) mid-term elections. In some voting precincts it is in fact the main issue. Immigrants are entering the United States at the rate of one every 30 seconds, or one million a year, an increase of 16 percent in the past five years. The question is how to regulate the ongoing influx of immigrants, now entering the United States, and what to do about the roughly twelve million illegal immigrants.
Demonstrations
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in demonstrations about immigration in the US in the past year. At one, a pro-immigration rally held at the foot of Capitol Hill in Washington, Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum explained why immigration had become the big issue in the run-up to the elections:
"The numbers of people coming are bigger than ever. The fact that it's in a post 9/11 era where there are legitimate concerns, often exaggerated and directed at Mexican immigrants who want to work, and there are concerns about lack of control, and quite frankly there are big political stakes."
"Republicans think they appeal to conservatives who are upset about illegal immigration, but they may pay a big price by alienating Hispanic voters, the fastest growing group of voters, so for economic, political, demographic reasons, for security, there is a lot at stake and the pot is boiling. The country wants action and unfortunately our political leaders haven't been able to mobilise a concensus in order to resolve it."
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