Republicans Seeking Hispanic Votes Risk Immigration Backlash

Mitt Romney likes Arizona’s law mandating that employers verify workers’ immigration status so much that he’d push to make it national. Rick Santorum has suggested he’d be willing to split up families if some members are in the U.S. illegally. Both want tougher border security.

While those messages may win votes in the Republican presidential primaries, they’re likely to face a chillier reception during the general election in battleground states such as Nevada and Colorado, where the Hispanic population has surged. Even some Republicans warn the party will pay a price for antagonizing the nation’s fastest-growing minority group.