Trump immigration proposal divides GOP presidential field

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Donald Trump is dividing his Republican presidential rivals anew with his call to rewrite the Constitution to crack down on millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, and to force Mexico to pay for a better border fence.

Trump's immigration proposal, his first formal policy plan since announcing his candidacy in June, won praise Monday from the GOP's conservative tea partyers, some of whom favor changing the Constitution to reverse the "birthright citizenship" guaranteed to anyone born in the United States, no matter the status of their parents.

Party leaders are determined to expand the GOP's appeal with Hispanics after the 2012 election in which Mitt Romney won just 27 percent of the Latino vote.

[...] many Republicans have adopted a hardline approach on immigrants, appealing to the party's core voters who play an oversized role in nominating primaries and caucuses.

[...] he wasn't.

[...] it also has annoyed Republicans who see the nation's growing Latino population as an opportunity to demonstrate sensitivity to minorities who have voted overwhelmingly Democratic in recent presidential elections.

According to the poll, a small majority of Republicans fall into the same category.