Washington: Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders had an intense clash over immigration reform, health care and Cuba during an argumentative Democratic debate in Miami on Wednesday as the two Democrats tried to woo Hispanic voters and beat each other in attacking Donald J. Trump.

Clinton, hurt by her surprise loss in the Michigan primary a day earlier, was on the attack mode throughout the debate as she tried to weaken Sanders's push before the next round of primaries.

In their last debate before primaries in Florida, Ohio and other states on Tuesday, the two Democrats made blatant appeals to the demographic groups they have come to prize.

Clinton repeatedly associated herself with the needs and concerns of immigrant families and remained glued to her promise to "knock down barriers" in employment and housing, hoping these primacies would motivate Hispanics and African-Americans to deliver her landslide victories in Florida and North Carolina.

Sanders's rallying calls against the "rigged economy" and "establishment politics" targeted liberals, young people, working-class white voters and independents who could be pivotal for him in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri.

Both candidates, who constantly appreciated President Obama on most issues, swore to end the large deportations of his administration. They both categorically promised not to deport children.

Clinton contended that Trump was promoting "un-American views" and vowed to "take every opportunity to criticize" him. Later, she ridiculed his centerpiece proposal to build "a very tall wall, right, a beautiful, tall wall."

Sanders argued that he could persuade Democratic Party leaders and elected officials that "Bernie Sanders is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump."

But both Clinton and Sanders sidestepped a direct question about whether according to them Trump was a racist, given his aggressive remarks about Mexicans and Muslims and his initial unwillingness to disavow the backing of the former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.