A New Willie Horton?

WASHINGTON — An illegal immigrant with a criminal history, arrested in connection to the brutal slayings of three college students in Newark, N.J., has become a poster boy for groups seeking stronger immigration controls.

The attention to the case, including by GOP presidential candidates, raises the question of whether the man, Jose Lachira Carranza could become the next Willie Horton, a convicted murderer featured in a 1988 political attack ad against Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.

Louis DeSipio, a professor of political science and Latino studies at the University of California at Irvine, said that the Newark case will not likely have the longevity to become a major issue in next year's race, but that other crimes committed by illegal immigrants — including drunken driving — will likely be featured in different campaign ads across the country.

This will create "several Willie Hortons" designed to push the perception that the border is out of control, DeSipio said.

Horton, who raped a woman after being released from jail on weekend furlough, became famous after the television ad, which attacked Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis for supporting the weekend release program.

The grainy picture of Horton, who is African American, and tone of the ad led to accusations of racism and many believe the ad contributed to Dukakis' defeat.

John J. Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, said that the Horton episode caused the GOP a great deal of grief over the past 20 years.

"Republicans have grown skittish on racial issues, and the Horton backlash is a big reason for their timidity," he said.

Because of this, Republicans frame illegal immigration as a matter of national security, he said. "Republicans will continue to be tough on crime. ... They will continue to be tough on illegal immigration. But putting the two issues together could blow up in their faces."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a leading contender for the Oval Office, appears to be treading carefully on the issue. He recently released a radio ad condemning cities that give "sanctuary" to illegal immigrants, including Newark, but he did not mention the triple murder and made a point of saying "legal immigration is great."

However, Romney is making the fight against illegal immigration a common theme in his campaign.

On several occasions, he has accused former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani of making that city a refuge for illegal immigrants, protecting them from federal deportation laws.

Giuliani inherited — and staunchly defended — a policy from his predecessor Ed Koch that barred city agencies from sharing information with the federal government on the immigration status of residents who use city services unless there was evidence of a crime.

Newark has a similar policy.

Supporters say that illegal immigrants would not report crimes or cooperate with police if they were fearful of being deported and that city employees should not be forced to become immigration agents.

After the triple murder, long shot presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said at a press conference in Newark that local officials were complicit in the killings for "harboring illegal aliens." He also encouraged the families of the victims to sue the city.

"Their actions have directly contributed to the deaths of three promising young American kids," Tancredo said.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Georgia Republican who is considering a White House run, blamed Congress and President Bush for inaction on illegal immigrant criminals.

In a strongly worded newsletter about the Newark murders, he said young Americans were being "massacred" by illegal immigrants and that the "war here at home" against illegal immigrant criminals is "even more deadly than the war in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Police have arrested six individuals in connection to the Newark case, including a second illegal immigrant — an 18-year old from Honduras. Police believe the motive was robbery. Carranza was on bail at the time of the murders on charges of raping a child.

University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said that the issue of illegal immigration and crime has a strong constituency in the GOP, so Republican presidential candidates are bound to fight about it in the primaries.

"It's an emotional topic, and most of the anti-immigration sentiment is concentrated in likely GOP primary voters and caucus-goers," he said.

However, both parties face a dilemma on the issue, he added.

Republicans have to be careful not to sound harsh and unwelcoming because Hispanics are an essential component of a winning GOP coalition since the party has no chance of winning many African-American votes, he said.

Meanwhile, Democrats don't want to position themselves as being tolerant of law-breaking, or soft on crime committed by illegal immigrants.

"Both parties need to offer a carrot and stick on immigration," he said.

On the Web:

To view the Willie Horton advertisement: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC9j6Wfdq3o