Nevada Republican Party endorses pathway to citizenship for immigrants

By Cameron Joseph - 01/31/13 05:51 PM ET

The Nevada Republican Party has endorsed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, the first state GOP organization in the nation to do so.

"The GOP has increasingly found itself in positions that do not meet the demographic realities of the State's electorate. These positions also conflict with our party’s historic commitment to civil rights. To that end, Republicans must become more inclusive, reflecting our desire to secure a better life for all Americans, and equally important, for our children," state party Chairman Michael McDonald said in a statement of party principles released on Thursday.

"We support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that would require registering with the government; and, include the ability to communicate in English, performing military or other community service, and proof of financial responsibility," he continued.

The party, by a seven to one vote, agreed to the proposal so long as the U.S. also secures its borders and enforces existing immigration laws.

Nevada has one of the largest Hispanic populations of any state — more than a quarter of the state's population and 18 percent of its voters in 2012 were Hispanic, and they voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in the last few elections in the state, giving President Obama comfortable wins in both of his elections and nearly costing Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) his own election in 2012.

Heller, who has a more conservative record on past immigration efforts, including opposition to the DREAM Act, called the bipartisan immigration proposal introduced this week a "reasonable starting point" in a statement earlier this week.

The Nevada state GOP is an unusual one — after years of disorganization it was taken over by Ron Paul supporters last year who have often sparred with the national party, going so far as to put up billboards attacking Mitt Romney during last year's election while Romney and the Republican National Committee built a "shadow Republican Party" in the state to work around them. But McDonald seemed to bury the hatchet with the national party when he endorsed RNC Chairman Reince Priebus for reelection at their winter meeting earlier this month.