McCain Ends Mexico Trip With Calls For Stronger Border Security

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) continued his delicate stance on immigration on Thursday while wrapping up a three-day tour of Latin America.

"I believe we must have comprehensive immigration reform; the American people want our borders secured first," McCain told reporters in Mexico.

His statement was made the same day he launched a Spanish-speaking radio ad in Nevada and New Hampshire touting his "shared values" with the Hispanic community.

"My name is Frank Gamboa, a proud Latino who wants the best for America and for our community," McCain's college friend says in the ad. "John McCain... has stood for our community even in the most difficult of times. This is because he shares our same conservative values and faith in God. He knows that family is the focal part of our lives and that we value hard work."

The presumptive Republican nominee has been under fire in recent weeks for allegedly waffling on the issue of amnesty for illegal immigrants because of pressure from conservatives who oppose amnesty and want more attention on border security. McCain sponsored a bill in 2006 giving illegal aliens a pathway to citizenship but said earlier this year that he himself wouldn't vote for the measure "because we know what the situation is today."

Last week, in a speech before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), McCain emphasized his commitment to immigration reform, prompting the Democratic National Committee to release a video of him shooting down his 2006 bill in an interview.

Gallup said earlier this week that McCain trails Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) in the support from the key constituency, 29% to 59%, mainly because Hispanics "have so far shown little difficulty in transferring their loyalties" from Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to the presumptive Democratic nominee.