When Anti-Immigrant Is Anti-Business

Republican Presidential candidates, facing intense pressure to talk tough on immigration, are losing some support from the business community

by Moira Herbst

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Mark Gould has been a lifelong Republican. The self-described libertarian and president of Gould Construction in Glenwood Springs, Colo., has been a registered Republican for 30 years, and he served a six-year stint as the chairman of his county's Republican Party.

But Gould is a Republican no longer. Exasperated over the GOP's increasingly harsh rhetoric about restricting immigration, Gould switched his registration to Independent two weeks ago. "Extremists have hijacked the Republican Party," says Gould, who says he employs a staff of 125, including legal immigrants. "If I had to pick today, I'd go with [Senator Barack] Obama [for President]. He's the most outspoken and realistic about reform."

Switching Sides

Gould isn't the only employer growing disenchanted with Republican candidates' stances on immigration. A number of business owners in the U.S.—many of them longtime Republicans—say that talk of severe crackdowns on illegal immigration and restrictions on legal immigration are pushing them away from the party. Some are even switching to actively support Democrats, including Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).

"The Republican candidates just don't get it," says Maureen Torrey, owner of Torrey Farms in Elba, N.Y. "They need to understand that immigration helps drive economic growth, and that without it a lot of industries are in trouble." Torrey, a lifelong Republican, is now backing Clinton.

These days, the Republican candidates appear to be competing for who can claim the toughest position on immigration. While Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, and Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, had both long been moderates on the issue, they are now stressing border enforcement and employer verification systems as they trade jabs about "sanctuary" for illegal immigrants. Mike Huckabee, the up-and-coming former governor of Arkansas, held back on the tough talk for months, but changed his stance in recent days and is now calling for the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to register with the federal government and return to their home countries before applying to return legally. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the one exception to the trend.

Tancredo's Tough Talk

Much of the change can be attributed to the success of U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who is centering his entire campaign on stricter immigration policy. He's in favor of deporting the illegal immigrants in this country, and has run ads attacking "spineless" and "gutless" politicians who let drug pushers, murderers, and terrorists come across the border with ease. One ad closes with a hooded figure leaving a backpack near a bench, followed by the sound of an explosion. The words "Tancredo, before it's too late" flash on the screen.

Plenty of business people think the harsh stance on immigration by Republican candidates, especially Romney and Giuliani, is simply positioning for the primaries. But employers worry that the rhetoric may box the candidates into problematic positions. Particularly in industries like agriculture, construction, landscaping, and restaurants, most employers want comprehensive immigration reform that allows undocumented workers to join a guest worker program or pursue a path to citizenship, as well as an effective way for new immigrants to work in the U.S. The Democratic front-runners already voice support for such reforms, albeit with some additional security.