Election 2008: What’s At Stake?

Virginia, a once-conservative southern state that is becoming more and more suburban and diverse, has been the scene of several immigration skirmishes in recent years, as local authorities tried to stem the flow of illegal immigrants to the rapidly-growing state.

Now, the Virginia Commission on Immigration has recommended a softer approach. More English classes, in-state tuition, looser Medicaid requirements and an immigration assistance office should replace an enforcement-oriented approach, said the panel, created by Governor Tim Kaine (D) last year. Though some hardliner commissioners disagreed with the final report, they say that immigration has to be a federal issue.

Gov. Tim Kaine (Wikipedia photo)
The Washington Post reports:

Virginia officials have spent years addressing the issue of immigration, taking whatever actions they could within the confines of state and federal law. More recently, immigration turned out to be a less popular election issue than some lawmakers had hoped. As a result, state officials appear to be shifting their focus from fighting illegal immigration to assimilating the ever-growing population of legal immigrants.

Looking at past polls, the Post also notes that fewer voters this year named immigration as an important issue.