Here's a brief look at the immigration policies being proposed by Barack Obama and John McCain. To compare the candidates on more issues, use this interactive.

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John McCain was a sponsor of the failed Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act in 2006 and 2007, which included doubling the size of the border patrol; building more walls and deploying more high-tech surveillance on the southern border; creating a temporary worker visa program; cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants; and creating a path to citizenship for those already living and working in the country. He says that hardening U.S. borders should take place before other efforts at changing immigration laws.

Barack Obama supports beefing up border security, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, and promoting economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration. He voted in favor of the McCain-Kennedy comprehensive immigration overhaul bill backed by President George W. Bush, and against mandating that English be the official language of the United States.