Concord Monitor
CONCORD, New Hampshire -- Illegal immigration has ignited conservative primary audiences in New Hampshire this year, prompting more questions than Iraq in many town hall meetings. Voters have grilled Sen. John McCain about his support for a compromise immigration bill and Rudy Giuliani about policies in New York City when he was mayor.
The heat on this issue could be surprising in New Hampshire, a state of 1.3 million that has a small immigrant population and a tiny illegal one. According to census estimates, the state gained 13,700 immigrants from 2000 to 2006; one expert projects that the state may have a total illegal immigrant population of 6,000 to 7,000.
No one is identified with the illegal immigration issue more than Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican who has championed building a fence on the Mexican border. The fence idea has been embraced on the stump across the Republican field, including top candidates such as Giuliani and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Posted by tyne at August 24, 2007