Poll: Obama widens lead among Hispanic voters

By Jonathan Easley - 07/18/12 11:00 AM ET

President Obama has widened his already substantial lead over Mitt Romney among Hispanics, according to a Latino Decisions poll released on Wednesday.

Obama takes 70 percent of the Hispanic vote, compared to Romney at 22. It’s the first time Obama has hit 70 percent in the poll, and the 48-point margin is the widest for the president so far, up from his June lead of 66 percent to 23.

Last month, Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting illegal immigrants who come to the country at a young age and meet certain requirements. The directive is particularly popular among Hispanics, with more than 90 percent of those surveyed saying they’re in favor of the policy change.

Both campaigns are waging aggressive efforts to win over the key demographic.

On Wednesday, the Romney campaign released its ninth Spanish-language ad of the cycle, a 30-second spot called, “País de Inmigrantes,” or “Country of Immigrants,” that features Romney's son Craig touting his father's understanding of immigrant issues.

But the president's directive has placed Republicans on the defensive, with Romney's campaign caught between Hispanic outreach efforts and large segments of the GOP base, which regard the new policy as amnesty.

After Obama’s announcement, Romney offered support for easing deportations, but said he believed the decision could make it more difficult to achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

Romney also opposes the DREAM Act immigration reform proposal, which is overwhelmingly popular among Hispanics — 87 percent support it, according to the poll — and has praised Arizona’s controversial immigration law, the majority of which was struck down by the Supreme Court in June.

Obama will need to maximize turnout among this key constituency in what is lining up to be a tight election, especially in swing-states like Florida, Virginia, Nevada and Colorado that have large Hispanic populations.

The Latino Decisions poll of 504 registered Hispanic voters was conducted between July 7 and July 16, and has a 4 percent margin of error.