What Nevadans hope Hillary Clinton talks about today

By Ana Ley

Tuesday, May 5, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign stop in Las Vegas today is the biggest indicator yet that immigration will be a key issue during next year’s presidential election.

The Democratic front-runner will focus on the topic during a round-table discussion this afternoon at Rancho High School with Nevadans who are “personally affected by our broken immigration system,” her campaign team said in a prepared statement. The campus — which serves the Las Vegas Valley’s minority-heavy northeast side — has a student body that is 70 percent Latino and 5 percent Asian, state records show.

Since announcing plans to run last month, Clinton has made it clear Nevada is a priority. A key path to the White House runs through the Silver State, an early caucus state for the Democratic primary and a critical swing state for the general election. And wooing minorities will be crucial in Nevada, which has the highest ratio of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Clinton’s team has been mum about what, specifically, the former first lady and secretary of state will discuss in what some local Latino leaders have called a highly choreographed event. The Las Vegas visit follows similar small-scale stops in New Hampshire and Iowa, where she spelled out four central themes for her campaign​: rebuilding the economy, strengthening families, fixing the political system and fighting terrorism.

“I don’t expect her to give any major details,” Democratic campaign analyst Andres Ramirez said. “Oftentimes, policymakers make announcements and they don’t really spend the time to listen and learn from individuals. My understanding is the purpose of her visit is more for her to listen and learn.”

But Nevadans hope she’ll give specific answers on immigration-related topics, setting her apart from other candidates:

For starters, they want a clearer vision for immigration reform.

Local immigration advocates say Clinton should offer tangible solutions to fix the country’s broken immigration system — something no presidential candidate has done thus far.

“We’re asking all the candidates the same thing, not just Secretary Clinton,” said Bob Fulkerson, co-director and founder of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. “We don’t just want to hear their support for comprehensive immigration reform, we want real proposals. How hard will they fight for administrative relief to keep families together?”

While politicians unanimously agree that a legislative overhaul is the solution, few have offered ideas to achieve one. Republicans like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio have also called for changes to immigration law, so Clinton will have to offer specifics and put pressure on opponents to do the same.

Nevadans also want to know if Clinton would continue President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration granting deportation relief to millions.

Obama’s actions, which are currently in legal limbo, gained broad support from Democrats when the president first announced them during a visit to Las Vegas in November. Clinton tweeted in support, but she hasn’t said much about whether she’d continue the actions if elected president.

This morning, a campaign insider said Clinton will tell Nevadans that the only solution is a full path to citizenship — something Obama's plan doesn't do. Clinton is expected to say "we cannot settle for proposals that provide hard-working people with merely 'a second-class status,' the campaign official said.

“She’s specifically going to Nevada to talk to (beneficiaries of deportation relief), and I think there are expectations for what she’ll say to differentiate her from other candidates,” said Sylvia Manzano, an analyst with the nonpartisan think tank Latino Decisions.

Some also want Clinton to address a comment she made last year about Central American children crossing the southern border illegally.

During an interview with CNN in June, Clinton discussed the wave of Central American children entering U.S. illegally and said they should be sent back to their home countries if their parents could be found.

Latino leaders hope Clinton will clarify her stance on the matter, because sending refugee children back essentially contradicts the United States’ asylum process.

“You know, it really saddened me to know that Clinton would say that, and, basically, it kind of surprised me,” said Fernando Romero, president of the Las Vegas-based group Hispanics in Politics. “I don’t know why our Latino community — not only in Nevada but across the country — have not really put her on the (spot). It appears that we’ve given her a pass as far as (immigration) reform is concerned.”​