Immigration debate intensifies

As election in US nears, party leaders exploit the issue to rally their bases

WASHINGTON/BEIJING — The United States, a country built by waves of immigrants, is now grappling with a dilemma of illegal immigration, which has become both a flashpoint and a partisan weapon in US politics.

As Republicans and Democrats turn to immigration as a defining issue in the presidential election campaign, genuine solutions appear increasingly out of reach. Instead, immigration has become a high-stakes game, with each side focusing more on how to exploit the issue than addressing its complex underlying causes, according to an analysis of Xinhua News Agency.

In recent months, immigration has soared to the top of voters' concerns. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that about 60 percent of US citizens now view immigration as important to their vote, up significantly from previous years.