More Updates:

Jesse Helms dies at 86Tucson, Pima County services to take hit in new state budget4 Tucson lawyers finalists for Superior Court bench postChestnut beats Kobayashi in hot dog eat-off2 teens attacked in town mocked in YouTube videosPreview: Save on outdoor gear at Tucson military surplus storesTucson comic book shop owner up for national prizeTucson police photo radar van weekend scheduleIll. father without baby sitter caged daughters, police sayScottsdale man convicted in child malnourishment case

Related articles:

McCain: Focus on illegal immigration hurt GOP's image

Other articles by Jacques Billeaud:

Sheriff's sweep in Mesa yields 15 arrestsAriz. employer sanctions law has yet to produce court cases Entrants' fraud case could mean sanctions charges for employer Trial begins for former N-plant engineer accused of illegally using software in Iran Arizona House fails to override veto on immigration bill Ariz. GOP to choose delegates; McCain's critics are in running No early release for journalist's killer Maricopa towns irate over 'sweeps' 3 day laborers sue Cave Creek over its curbs on soliciting work Proposed employer sanctions revisions stall at the Legislature

Trades/Construction
Jacobs Electric
Electricians & Helpers General
Prestige maintenance USA
Custodian Mechanical
Pioneer Landscaping
Diesel Fleet Mechanic Trades/Construction
Pioneer Landscaping
Yard Person/Loader Operator Administrative & Professional
Tucson Symphony
Teleservices Sales/Courtesy Rep Trades/Construction
Lectra-Serv, Inc
Electricians & Helpers Trades/Construction
Pioneer Landscaping
Yard Person/Loader Operator

PHOENIX — Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said Monday that the federal government’s failure to overhaul its immigration policies and secure the border has regrettably prompted some states and cities to enter the fight against the nation’s border woes.

Some communities frustrated by federal border efforts are rejecting the long-held notion that immigration is an exclusive federal responsibility. Local efforts include denying some public benefits to illegal immigrants, training police officers in federal immigration law and trying to prevent businesses from hiring illegal border-crossers.

“It saddens me to see these conflicting approaches toward the issue of illegal immigration, because we would not have this problem if the federal government had carried out its responsibilities,” McCain told reporters in Phoenix on Cinco de Mayo.

McCain said he’d return to the federal approach if he’s elected president by securing the border, deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the United States, updating temporary worker programs and establishing tamper-proof IDs to let people determine whether new workers are in the country legally.

On a political front, the Republican from Arizona noted that the focus on immigration during the GOP primary season harmed his party’s image among Hispanics.

Hispanic citizens want America’s borders secured because they are vulnerable to losing their jobs because illegal immigrants accept lower wages. They also want humane treatment for illegal immigrants who sometimes face exploitation and mistreatment, McCain said.

McCain, whose campaign launched its Spanish language Web site on Monday, said he was confident in his prospects for attracting Hispanic voters, whose values include respect for family, opposition to abortion, a sense of patriotism and a drive to work hard.

“Everything about Hispanic voters is tailor-made to the Republican message,” said McCain, noting he received heavy Hispanic support during his last Senate re-election campaign. “I am confident that I will do very well. I will have to work at it.”

McCain said he didn’t know whether an aggressive local immigration crackdown in the county where he lives would hurt Republican chances to win over Hispanics.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has had 160 of his officers trained in federal immigration law, set up a hotline to report immigration violations and sent his deputies to three heavily Hispanic areas to conduct crime crackdowns.

While the sheriff said the crackdowns were meant to suppress all manner of crime, civil rights groups and some elected officials say the patrols were thinly veiled immigration sweeps fraught with racial profiling.