Hey GOP Congress: Hispanic constituency must be heard too, on urgency for immigration reform - beyond border security

For many Republican Party leaders, the 2012 election served as a wake-up call to adjust its approach to the growing Hispanic electorate. Mitt Romney endorsed a policy of "self-deportation" for undocumented immigrants and that led to him receiving just 27% of the Hispanic vote. The Republican National Committee's post-election autopsy report concluded that the party needed to improve its policies and its tone when dealing with immigration legislation and Hispanics in general. 

In prior elections, Hispanic outreach efforts geared up a few months before Election Day, but then shut down immediately afterward. Following the 2014 midterm elections, the Republican National Committee maintained about 40 staff members dedicated to Hispanic outreach. 

The LIBRE Initiative, a group that advocates for conservative principles, did voter outreach in seven Hispanic-heavy states in 2014 and is using about 50 staff members to expand to two more states this year. 

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