Briefing Book: How the candidates differ on immigration

REDMOND, Wash. - This summer, msnbc.com is presenting a weekly series assessing issues and controversies that the next president will confront. From New Bedford, Mass. to Postville, Iowa, the federal government has been conducting raids on factories in an attempt to deport illegal immigrants. Will the next president be able to build majorities in Congress to enact a new immigration law, after fruitless attempts in 2006 and 2007? And what kind of balance will the president strike? Is the electorate eager for more vigorous enforcement and more deportations? Or do Americans want to offer illegal immigrants a path to become legal residents? Why it matters An estimated 12 million illegal immigrants live in the United States. That illegal population, the difficulty of finding and deporting those immigrants once they’re here, and... [read full story]