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Colorado's most competitive congressional district is home to a significant Latino population - about 40% of residents. The seat is held by a freshman, Republican Gabe Evans, who finds himself walking a fine line on immigration as he seeks reelection. Colorado Public Radio's Bente Birkeland has more.
BENTE BIRKELAND, BYLINE: It's a 100-degree weekday afternoon in Greeley, an agricultural city in the northern part of the district. Javi Gonzalez is a 32-year-old truck driver. He and his family are getting groceries at a local Walmart. He leans conservative and voted for President Trump. He says he's not against the federal immigration crackdown, but...
JAVI GONZALEZ: I mean, I guess it's been a little extra lately. But yeah, I don't mind it on the level of, like, criminals.
BIRKELAND: His wife, Anjelyka Flores, did not vote for Trump and doesn't like how his administration is handling immigration.
ANJELYKA FLORES: Obviously, like, crack down on the criminals. But it doesn't seem like they're focusing on what they said they would focus on.
BIRKELAND: Congressman Gabe Evans, like many living here, is Latino. He talks frequently about being the grandson of a Mexican immigrant. His grandfather crossed the border illegally as a young child, served in World War II and later gained citizenship. The first bill Evans introduced earlier this year in Congress focused on rolling back state laws, including ones meant to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. In an interview with Colorado Public Radio right before his election, he explained why he thinks illegal immigration has become a top concern.
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GABE EVANS: It has to do with the crime and the drain on public resources that come from tens of thousands of illegal immigrants coming to the area and the crime that's oftentimes associated with, you know, the cartels and the transnational criminal organizations that are taking advantage of the southern border being open.
BIRKELAND: But recently, he's also offered a more moderate vision and signed on to the Dignity Act, a bipartisan-backed bill. It would create a pathway for some undocumented immigrants to get legal status to work in the country, but not citizenship. It faces significant pushback from parts of the MAGA base. Here's Evans again speaking to CPR last month.
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EVANS: You have critical, critical industries, like agriculture, where 42% of the ag labor force doesn't have legal documentation. We have to have some sort of way to protect American farmers, to be able to protect folks in my district.
BIRKELAND: Many voters at the shopping area in Greeley say they want those who aren't causing trouble treated differently.
MERVIN MILLER: I've worked with Mexicans. I was a roofer.
BIRKELAND: Twenty-two-year-old Trump voter Mervin Miller says he thinks it should be easier for workers to get citizenship. He's now a truck driver who hopes to move to this district soon.
MILLER: You won't meet a lot of people that are as nice as the Mexicans in general around here, right? Of course, there's the cartel and all that, but I don't think that's a reason to just say, oh, we're just going to not let anybody in.
BIRKELAND: Also buying groceries nearby is Julia Spruk, an independent who voted for Trump last November. When it comes to immigration, she considers her faith.
JULIA SPRUK: I do believe in Jesus. I do believe in God. And in the Bible, it says, owe no man anything except to love one another. And I think we're forgetting that. I think we're forgetting the love and the compassion part of the equation.
BIRKELAND: As he seeks reelection, Evans will have to contend with voters' complex views. After an afternoon spent talking with some of these voters, it's clear their opinions are more nuanced than political talking points often capture. What's not yet clear - how their views may influence their decisions at the ballot box.
For NPR News, I'm Bente Birkeland in Denver. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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