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''He says, 'Look, we got the message -- the American people do not trust us when we say we'll secure the border,''' Black added.

McCain told congressional Republicans in a closed-door meeting recently that he had been badly bruised by his push for immigration reform and had learned the hard way that sealing the border should be his priority.

Republicans who support McCain say he has no choice but to abandon his past approach on immigration in favor of one that causes less consternation among conservatives virulently opposed to providing undocumented people with legal status.

''What kind of an idiot can't figure out the route that you took didn't work? You don't keep charging the center line when you're getting your head bashed in, and John was on this,'' said former Sen. Trent Lott, R- Miss.

Persuading Republicans that he can be trusted on immigration has been a slow process for McCain, and it's not over yet, Lott added. ''I don't know if they're happy yet, but they'll get happier.''

Specter predicted that immigration, a main theme of the Republican primaries, wouldn't have much influence on the broader presidential race, and that GOP voters -- even those angry about McCain's immigration stance -- ultimately will turn out to support him.

''I think conservatives will, because the alternative of either Senator Obama or Senator Clinton will persuade Republicans of all political views to support McCain,'' Specter said.

Tamar Jacoby, who has worked with McCain on immigration overhaul efforts, said he has positioned himself well on the issue, taking the get-tough stance the party faithful espouse while stopping short of repudiating a broader solution that could address the legal status of those who are already here illegally.

''McCain is promising conservatives to do what conservatives most want done, which is to secure the border. Does that mean he will never go further than that to rationalize the system? No, but he doesn't have to say that,'' said Jacoby, the president of ImmigrationWorks USA, a coalition pushing for a broad overhaul.

McCain has won re-election in Arizona with large majorities of Latino voters. He has drawn backing from 45 percent of Hispanic Republicans this year -- slightly better than the 39 percent support he got from whites -- according to exit polls from 22 states that have held Republican primaries.

Only one in five Republicans name illegal immigration as the country's top problem, half the number who name the economy but about the same proportion as those who named Iraq. But fewer than three in 10 of those have voted for McCain this year, his worst showing based on issues that concern GOP voters.

''He is obviously aware of where the base is on this issue,'' said Sara Taylor, a former top political aide to Bush. ''His challenge is bridging a communications gap that the base perceives they have with him.''

At the same time, Taylor said, McCain's position on immigration has a silver lining for Republicans: ''His stance and the way he's communicated it potentially puts a state like California in play.''

Hispanic voters there and elsewhere, though, are listening with concern to the same change in tone that has gained McCain points with the GOP base.

''His rhetoric has absolutely shifted, and people have noticed,'' said Munoz of La Raza, ''He's going to have to figure out a way to talk to this community.''

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Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

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