In a meeting with Hispanic leaders, McCain said he would try as president to get an immigration overhaul through Congress

National Review, July 14, 2008

In a meeting with Hispanic leaders, McCain said he would try as president to get an immigration overhaul through Congress. Some restrictionists were unduly alarmed when they heard this report. But there is nothing new here. McCain has never backed off his support for legalizing illegal immigrants.

He has also said that he now understands that illegal immigration must be brought under control before any such step is taken--and he has not backed off from that position, either. When it comes to enforcing the immigration laws at the border and the workplace, conservatives are more likely to influence a McCain administration than an Obama administration. Before either man chooses to push a bill that smacks of open borders, meanwhile, he should remember that the opponents have defeated one before and are willing to do so again.