New Hampshire Primary Voters, GOP Rivals Focus on Immigration

Voters in the crucial early primary state of New Hampshire list immigration as one of their top concerns, and Republican presidential hopefuls have been busy addressing the issue at campaign rallies across the Granite State.

Given that New Hampshire is far removed from the porous U.S.-Mexico border and home to only about 10,000 of an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, the focus on the problem may be surprising, The Associated Press noted. But Bob Belanger, a voter who recently challenged Marco Rubio on the subject, told the newswire that the issue has an effect on citizens all across the nation.

'We Are All Immigrants, for Crying out Loud'

Belanger's top concerns had to do with the threat of terrorism and the effect undocumented immigrant workers might have on driving down wages and benefits, he explained.

"We just want to know who's coming in the front door of our country; that's all," Belanger noted. "Whether it's roofers or whether it's welders, it affects me even when they are in Texas or California; we are in a global economy."

But Belanger insisted that his views and those of other GOP supporters in New Hampshire, whose Hispanic population is only about 3.3 percent, should not be misinterpreted.

"People tend to think that we are anti-immigrant, but we're not," he insisted. "We are all immigrants, for crying out loud."

Ted Cruz Hammers Donald Trump on Immigration

Meanwhile, Ted Cruz, on Jan. 25, again spoke on the issue at a New Hampshire rally, according to Fox News. The Texas senator used the opportunity to attack his main rival, GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who kicked off his campaign with controversial comments on immigration.

"If you didn't stand up and fight amnesty, when the stakes were live or die, do we lose this permanently or do we win, I would suggest as voters you have reasons to doubt the credibility of the promises of a political candidate who discovers the issue after he announces for president," Cruz noted in remarks directed at the real estate tycoon turned White House hopeful.