GOP Faces Immigration Fight After Election

White House and Democratic leaders have indicated that they may pursue a comprehensive immigration reform deal, which could give Republicans a chance to improve their deficit among Latino voters, NBC News reported. Hispanic and Latino voters comprise 10 percent of the electorate, and they broke for Obama over GOP nominee Mitt Romney by a 44-point margin. The immigration reform battle pits the Republican's conservative wing, which has spoken out vocally against immigration reform, against leaders who have urged the party to adapt for the sake of electability. Republican leaders, such as Arizona Sen. John McCain, were proponents of immigration reforms, but the party has since drifted rightward. The GOP's shift was vividly illustrated during the 2012 Republican presidential primary when Mitt Romney characterized his immigration policy as favoring "self-deportation." However, Democrats such as Vice President Joe Biden are "very optimistic" about immigration reform in the aftermath of the election, saying the election served as a "wake-up call" for the GOP.

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