IMMIGRATION A LIKELY ELECTION ISSUE.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Immigration has yet to dominate the gubernatorial campaign, but this week's debate in Washington, D.C., and massive demonstrations in Los Angeles are likely to propel it to the forefront, political observers said.

While candidates from both parties might try to avoid bringing up the political hot potato, claiming it is a federal issue, they could be forced to pick it up if the debate drags on in Washington through the fall.

``It will help determine whether Latino voters come out to vote, and where they come out to vote,'' said political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the University of Southern California. ``That could be dicey for the Republicans, and specifically for Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger, in the general election.''

Schwarzenegger has not taken specific positions on any of the bills now circulating in Congress, but in general, he supports a guest-worker program, opposes making illegal immigration a felony, and wants the federal government to increase reimbursements to states for the costs associated with illegal immigration.

Early in his administration, Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to drive in California, and has yet to support newer versions aimed at addressing his concerns over security of identity documents.

Speaking to business leaders Tuesday in San Francisco, Schwarzenegger lauded Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., for helping to push the issue to the fore, and urged Congress not to ``debate about what is best for politics instead of what is best for our country.''

If California businesses have exhausted the state's labor pool and still can't fill all their jobs, they should be free to hire from abroad as long as those workers have visas, Schwarzenegger said, adding that he'd let the ``geniuses in Washington'' address what to do about workers already here illegally.

The two Democratic candidates for governor, Controller Steve Westly and Treasurer Phil Angelides, have relatively similar views on the subject, though they have said little about it in public. Angelides was reportedly asked about the federal debate by a Spanish-language television reporter last week, and he said he didn't know enough about the issue to comment.

But Tuesday, Angelides said he would press the federal government to increase border enforcement and provide more reimbursement to states for costs associated with illegal immigration, such as incarceration of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.

``A governor's job is to work to get the federal government to do its job,'' Angelides said in an interview with Bay Area-radio station KGO-AM (810).

Angelides supports the bill passed by the Senate Judiciary committee this week, according to campaign spokesman Brian Brokaw. That bill creates a special guest-worker program for farm workers, who can later earn legal permanent residency. It also adds new Border Patrol agents, and allows illegal immigrants to stay in the country if they pay a fine and clear a criminal background check.

Westly supports the Kennedy-McCain bill, which was similar to that passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, according to campaign spokesman Nick Velasquez. He would like to see more border enforcement, but not the building of a new wall on the border. He opposes making being in the U.S. illegally a felony, supports in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and supports the driver's license bill.

He also supports a guest-worker program, if it includes a way to obtain permanent residency.

``He would support legislation to allow them to get a path toward permanent legal status - a green card - and then go through the process to become a citizen,'' Velasquez said.

Staff Writer Josh Richman contributed to this report from San Francisco.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com