Immigration Takes Centre Stage for Republicans

It does not take long to establish what Mitt Romney regards as one of the defining issues of the 2008 presidential race. On the front of his campaign leaflets, he is pictured standing beside a huge fence on the US-Mexican border.

The Republican candidate takes a hard-line stance on America's estimated 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants. They should be given time to arrange their affairs and then be sent home to "get in line with everyone else" for work visas, he told a debate in South Carolina yesterday.

Illegal immigration is one of the biggest issues of the election, particularly among Republicans.

The US is experiencing the biggest wave of immigration since the 19th century, mainly from Mexico and other parts of Central and South America. While large Hispanic populations have been part of life in some states, such as California, since they were founded, the concentration of Hispanics for the first time in other states a long way from the Mexican border has resulted in a backlash that is often racist.

Michigan, where Republicans are battling it out in the next primary, to be held on Tuesday, has an estimated 100,000-150,000 illegal immigrants, according to the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center. The hostility towards them is partly based on fears that they are taking jobs in a state where unemployment is running at about 15%.

Immigration is even more of an issue in South Carolina, one of the most social conservative states in the US and where Republicans vote in their primary a week from tomorrow. The state, renowned for the brutality of its politics, has one of the country's fastest-growing Hispanic populations, up 47% between 2000 and 2005. The number of illegal immigrants in the state is estimated at between 150,000 and 400,000.

"This is the new Confederate flag issue in South Carolina on the Republican side," said Neal Thigpen, a political science professor at the Francis Marion University, in South Carolina. (One of the most emotive issues in the 2000 race was the continued flying of the Confederate flag, a symbol of hate for African-Americans, who make up about a quarter of the state population, over the state legislature.)

He told South Carolina's State newspaper that long-established residents are aware of the fast growth, seeing Hispanics at a grocery store or repairing roofs or doing other work. Illegal immigration is a crime, and that is always going to be an issue. "And let's face it," he said, "there's some bigotry in there and that fuels it".

Immigration is a bigger issue for the Republicans than for the Democrats. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are opposed to sending home America's illegal immigrants - both for humanitarian reasons but also because the economy depends on them - but they differ on how to bring them within the law.

For Republicans, there is a huge divide, with John McCain adopting the most liberal position, having last year promoted a cross-party Senate compromise to offer a pathway to legalization. The remainder of the Republican pack are adopting increasingly hard-line positions on illegal immigrants as the campaign goes on.

The Pew Hispanic Center, in a report published last month, said that the Hispanic population is suffering from all the attention, largely negative, roused by the campaign. It said that just more than half of all Hispanic adults worried that a family member or close friend could be deported.

Paul Taylor, acting director of the center, said about 15% of the voters identified illegal immigration an issue of concern compared with only 2% two years ago.

Where the front-runners stand

All the candidates favor building fences along the Mexican border to stop further illegal immigration. But they are divided on how to deal with the 12-20 million illegal immigrants already in the US.

Democrats

Hillary Clinton Opposes sending all illegal immigrants home and favors a path to legalization. Illegal immigration provided her with one of the worst moments of her campaign when she first agreed and then minutes later disagreed with a proposal to give driving licenses for illegal immigrants.

Barack Obama Does not believe illegal immigrants should be sent home. He said: "It's not going to happen. We're not going to go round them up ... We should give them a pathway to citizenship."

Republicans

Mitt Romney Fired his lawn service after news reports found the company hired illegal immigrants. Wants to send all illegal immigrants home.

John McCain Risks alienating social conservatives in the Republican party with his advocacy of a bipartisan approach which would see borders secured and then offer "a humane and compassionate" path to citizenship.

Mike Huckabee As governor of Arkansas, he backed a series of reforms aimed at helping illegal immigrants. But has toughened his line during the campaign.

Rudy Giuliani Has been accused of running a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants when he was mayor of New York City.