During last month’s presidential debate in Austin , Tx., Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both said they would consider suspending work site immigration raids until Congress could pass an immigration overhaul which would include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, according to The Austin American Statesman.  Among the immigration highlights of the debate:

Clinton : "We need a path to legalization, to bring the immigrants out of the shadows, give them the conditions that we expect them to meet, paying a fine for coming here illegally, trying to pay back taxes over time, and learning English.  If they had committed a crime in our country or the country they came from, then they should be deported.  But for everyone else, there must be a path to legalization."

Obama: "It is absolutely critical that we tone down the rhetoric when it comes to the immigration debate, because there has been an undertone that has been ugly.  Oftentimes it has been directed at the Hispanic community.  We have seen hate crimes skyrocket in the wake of the immigration debate…and that is unacceptable."

Obama on border fencing: "There may be areas where it makes sense to have some fencing.  But for the most part, having border patrolled surveillance, deploying effective technology, that’s going to be the better approach."