Immigration Advocates Say Walker’s Hardline Stance Won’t Help Campaign Among Latinos

Immigrant rights advocates are predicting Gov. Scott Walker will have a hard time attracting support from Latino voters in his bid for the presidency.

While Walker officially entered the race for the White House Monday to cheers from supporters, immigrants’ rights groups say his hard-line position on immigration reform will likely lose him Latino votes.

Christine Neumann Ortiz of the Milwaukee-based Voces de la Frontera said Walker has opposed policies that grant benefits to the estimated 85,000 undocumented immigrants now living in Wisconsin.

“As governor, Walker took away tuition equality from Wisconsin dreamers — immigrant students who successfully graduated from Wisconsin high schools — something that the Latino community had fought for years to win,” she said. “And he promised to veto any law that would grant driver’s licenses to immigrants.”

Immigrant families and activists joined other protesters outside the Waukesha Expo Center where Walker gave his campaign kickoff speech. Inside, immigration was one policy issue that the governor did not bring up.

Tuesday, Walker heads to Nevada to campaign, a state with a Republican governor who has supported the reforms that Walker has opposed.

Nevada is also home to hotel and casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson who has supported Republicans campaigns in Wisconsin in the past and is also a strong advocate for immigration reform that would provide amnesty to undocumented immigrants.

Walker has shifted his position on immigration toward a more hardline stance as he’s moved closer and closer to becoming a presidential contender.