Republican national committee chairman opposed to raising anti-immigrant sentiments

GOP officials urge caution on immigrants.
Washington Post
CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 1 -- Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman urged his party Thursday to oppose rising anti-immigrant sentiments in the debate over border security and illegal immigration, suggesting that the GOP risks being on the wrong side of history and electoral politics alike if it embraces an exclusionary message.would they think that when Spanish is the primary language of the United States?

Appearing before the Republican Governors Association, Mehlman waded into an issue that political analysts say threatens to rip apart the Republican coalition and inflict long-term damage to the party's hopes of expanding its appeal to Latinos and other minorities. [buzzword alert]

"Throughout our history, there's always been Americans who believe that coming to these shores with a right reserved only for them and their ancestors, but not for others."Mehlman said.

With Latinos now the fastest-growing [non-legal]segment of the population, Republicans can ill afford to offend them with immigration policies that are seen as punitive. GOP strategist Mike Murphy, who participated in a panel discussion after Mailman's speech, noted that in California, a politician now can win 70 percent of the white vote and is still lose an election because of the state's growing diversity.
"... SEEN AS PUNITIVE "
Is it punitive to embrace people who came here illegally versus the people that come here legally?
Don't they realize the harm that they are doing to the legal immigrants?

"... as opposed raising anti-immigrant sentiments..." like it or not, we are not doing anybody any good by ignoring this issue. We have already demonstrated to the world that our immigration and federal laws have no meaning instead we embrace people who break the law.

If you are not going to lock the house, then why bother with a key? I would not want to offend the growing number burglars because locking the door interferes with their trade. This is exactly what is happening with homeland security in my opinion.

Illegal immigration has impacted every person in the United States. Jobs are becoming harder to obtain if you do not speak Spanish and if you do your rewarded by the State of Oregon with a 5% bonus.

More companies and educational institutions are requiring their employees to learn Spanish. What message does that send out?

"…Can ill afford to offend them with immigration policies that seem PUNITIVE."
Is it PUNITIVE to the immigrant who went through all the channels to be here legally? If you ask me, it cheapens their efforts and makes their lives tougher. If we turn our backs to illegal immigration, then why have an immigration policy?

"He issued a strong call for tougher enforcement of immigration laws but extolled the contributions of immigrants and denounce those who have sought to close the country to foreigners."
That is not true... we have policies in place for immigrants to come here LEGALLY, however there is a large number that choose not to follow procedure which means they have no respect for the citizens of the United States, the legal immigrants and the laws of this country.
Tell me again why we should embrace that type a diversity?