PROVO, Utah, April 30 (UPI) -- Republican officials in the U.S. Southwest have concluded they need to adopt a tough stance on illegal immigration or face defeat in November.
For example, four years ago U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, announced at a Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund dinner that his state loves immigrants and makes no distinction between legal and illegal.
Today, Cannon has adopted a different position, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Cannon has sent a video to party activists saying he is tough on illegal immigration and the nation must secure its borders.
Asked about the video, Cannon said he hasn't changed his position as a supporter of immigrant rights but has merely repackaged it in reaction to the nationwide backlash against illegal immigration.
Cannon faces a re-election challenge from two members of his own party who have circulated a tape of the dinner speech he made four years ago, the Times reported.
