MIAMI – During a speech here last year, former Florida governor Jeb Bush warned his GOP brethren to soften their tone on immigration, fearing the party was alienating the fast-growing Hispanic electorate.
Since then, GOP-dominated legislatures in Alabama, South Carolina and other states have passed strict laws cracking down on illegal immigrants. Republicans in Congress have pushed for more employment verification systems, and GOP presidential contenders have called for more border security and restrictions on illegal immigrants.
