Newly-elected Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R) is introducing an immigration measure similar to Arizona’s controversial anti-immigrant law in California.
Donnelly may count on the support of the Tea Party, but the legislation isn’t expected to go very far in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
“He has about as much chance of passing that bill as he does at winning the Academy Award for best actor. It is a controversial Republican bill in a Democratic legislature,” said political scientist Jack Pitney of Claremont McKenna College.
In a state with one of the highest Latino populations in the country, Donnelly faces the risk of alienating a crucial voting bloc and further damaging the image of Republicans among this community.
“I plan to use every bit of my political capital on behalf of the people, because I don’t care what happens to me. I’m not even supposed to be here,” he said.
Up to three-quarters of California voters support creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country as children by their parents and meet certain criteria, such as education or military service, according to a poll by the University of Southern California last month.
“Republicans have to do better with Latino voters and a bill like this doesn’t help,” Pitney said.
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