MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti) - In the midst of forthcoming midterm elections, US immigration policy is not likely to become the primary issue in Southeast Arizona were 25 percent of the population is Latino, TIME reports.
“Immigration I think is a piece of it [election battle], [but] I don’t think it’s a determining factor. I think it’s more economy, more jobs, more fiscal responsibility,” stresses Edmund Marquez, a senior member of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as cited by TIME.
Arizona is facing numerous economic issues which overshadow immigration concerns. For instance, Arizonians are trying to save the Davis-Monthan Air Force base, one of the top-three employers in the region, from potential cuts.
"Immigration is still there, just not the same level of intensity of two years ago…when it was front and center," explains Bill Roe, the Arizona Democratic Party representative.
The immigration problem has not come into the focus of political ads of two candidates: Martha McSally, a Republican candidate, and US Rep. Ron Barber, D-Ariz.
However, experts point out that Martha McSally is still likely to discuss immigration in her campaign. In her recent statement McSally blamed Ron Barber for rejecting H.R.5230 "Secure the Southwest Border Act of 2014."
"Despite an ongoing border crisis in Southern Arizona, Congressman Barber rejected legislation to provide $694 million to help secure the border and provide humanitarian assistance for over 50,000 unaccompanied minors," she emphasized.
According to the statement Ron Barber "voted against," particularly, "increasing humanitarian assistance for unaccompanied minors including medical care and treatment, vaccinations, bedding, education services, and therapy for children who have experienced trauma or abuse during transit."
Congressman Barber dismissed the accusations, claiming that "the vote was "essentially political theater," since the House legislation has no chance of passing the Senate," according to TIME.
Indeed, the measures, promoted by the bill, "are unlikely to become law," as the Washington Post reported earlier this month. The legislation is aimed at speeding "the deportations of most border-crossers and rescind President Obama's authority to decide whether to deport certain illegal immigrants." The White House most Democrats and immigration advocates object to the legislation.
