CHICAGO, IL -- In response to the RNC’s Hispanic Outreach Coordinator’s comment this morning that Mitt Romney is still deciding what his immigration position is, OFA’s Director of Hispanic Press, Gabriela Domenzain, released the following statement:
“Over the past year Mitt Romney has proven time and time again that he is the most extreme presidential candidate in modern history on immigration. His position may be inconvenient, but it has been clear. He has promised to veto the DREAM Act, thinks all undocumented immigrants should self-deport, has called the anti-immigrant AZ law a ‘model’ for the nation and has paraded around the country with the nation’s leading anti-immigrant voices. Mitt Romney has decided to be the most extreme presidential candidate on immigration; Hispanics and all Americans have heard it loud and clear.”
ROMNEY SAID HE WOULD VETO THE DREAM ACT
When Asked If He Would Veto The DREAM Act, Romney Said, “The Answer Is Yes.” “‘The question is if I were elected and Congress were to pass the Dream Act, would I veto it and the answer is yes,’ Romney said.” [Reuters, 12/31/11; Le Mars, IA Meet & Greet, 12/31/11]
ROMNEY PROPOSED THE INHUMANE IMMIGRATION POLICY OF “SELF-DEPORTATION”
Romney Supported “Self-Deportation” For Undocumented Immigrants. SMITH: “You say you don’t want to go and round up people and deport them, but you also say that they would have to go back to their home countries and then apply for citizenship. So, if you don’t deport them, how do you send them home?” ROMNEY: “Well, the answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can’t find work here because they don’t have legal documentation to allow them to work here. And so we’re not going to round people up. The way that we have in this society is to say, look, people who have come here legally would, under my plan, be given a transition period and the opportunity during that transition period to work here, but when that transition period was over, they would no longer have the documentation to allow them to work in this country. At that point, they can decide whether to remain or whether to return home and to apply for legal residency in the United States, get in line with everybody else. And I know people think but that’s not fair to those that have come here illegally.” [NBC Florida Debate, 1/23/12]
• New York Times Editorial: Romney’s Scheme For Fixing Immigration Is “Self-Deportation” – Mass Expulsion Through Making The Lives Of Immigrants “Unbearable.” “Mitt Romney has moved farthest to the fringe. His scheme for fixing immigration is mass expulsion: a fantasy of ridding the country of 11 million unauthorized immigrants by making their lives unbearable. The key to his harsh vision is ‘self-deportation,’ the deceptively bland-sounding policy that he introduced at a debate. It accepts that arresting and expelling so many millions would be impossible — like deporting the State of Ohio. But it replaces that delusion with another: That people can be made miserable enough to leave on their own.” [Editorial, New York Times, 2/20/12]
• New York Times Editorial: “In States Where ‘Self-Deportation’ Is Official Policy, The Results Have Been Deplorable” And “Have Caused A Civil-Rights Emergency.” “In states where ‘self-deportation’ is official policy, the results have been deplorable. In Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County sweeps neighborhoods making mass arrests, and people are afraid to leave home. In Alabama, farm and construction workers have fled by the thousands; tornado victims are afraid to go to a shelter. These laws hijack the federal government’s responsibility for immigration and have caused a civil-rights emergency. But Mr. Romney’s response has been to condemn the Obama Justice Department for fighting them in court.” [Editorial, New York Times, 2/20/12]
ROMNEY ENDORSED THE CONTROVERSIAL ARIZONA LAW THAT ALLOWS RANDOM DOCUMENT CHECKS AND DETAINMENT, AND EVEN CALLED IT A “MODEL” FOR ENFORCING IMMIGRATION LAWS
Romney: “I Support The Arizona Law.” “Immigration is an important topic for voters in the state that borders Mexico. Residents wanted to know if the candidates will support Arizona's controversial immigration law. ‘Well, I support the Arizona law by recognizing what Arizona has done -- underscored the failure of the federal government to do its job,’ Romney told the audience. ‘It has been the responsibility of the federal government to protect our borders. And the federal government has failed. If I'm lucky enough to be president of the United States, I won't fail,’ he said.” [CBN News, 9/15/11]
Romney Called The Arizona Law “A Model” For How To Enforce Immigration Laws. In a Republican debate, Romney was asked, “Should there be aggressive, seek them out, find them and arrest them as the Sheriff Arpaio advocates?” Romney said, “You know, I think you see a model in Arizona. They passed a law here that says -- that says that people who come here and try and find work, that the employer is required to look them up on e- verify. This e-verify system allows employers in Arizona to know who's here legally and who's not here legally. And as a result of e-verify being put in place, the number of people in Arizona that are here illegally has dropped by some 14 percent, where the national average has only gone down 7 percent. So going back to the question that was asked, the right course for America is to drop these lawsuits against Arizona and other states that are trying to do the job Barack Obama isn't doing.” [CNN Arizona Debate, 2/22/12]
• Arizona’s Immigration Law Requires Immigrations To Carry Their Alien Registration Documents At All Times And Requires Police To Question People If There’s Reason To Suspect They’re In The United States Illegally. “Arizona's law orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there's reason to suspect they're in the United States illegally.” [CNN, 4/23/10]
• Arizona’s Immigration Law Would Make The Failure To Carry Immigration Documents A Crime And Give The Police Power To Detain Anyone Suspected Of Being In The Country Illegally. “The law, which proponents and critics alike said was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations, would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics regardless of their citizenship status.” [New York Times, 4/23/10]
ROMNEY IS ADVISED ANTI-IMMIGRANT KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATE KRIS KOBACH
Kansas Secretary Of State Kris Kobach Confirmed He Was Serving On The Romney Campaign As An Unpaid Advisor Even Before He Formally Endorsed Romney. “Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) confirms that he's serving as an unpaid adviser on immigration issues to Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Kobach told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he's been advising the former Massachusetts governor since the beginning of this year. Kobach said he started serving as an adviser even before he formally endorsed his fellow Republican last month. The Kansas secretary of state is a former law professor who's known nationally for advising state and local officials about cracking down on illegal immigration. He helped draft tough laws in Alabama and Arizona.” [Associated Press, 2/1/12]
Kris Kobach Helped Draft Immigration Laws In Arizona And Alabama. “Kobach, a Republican, pushed legislators last year to impose requirement, but some legislators were wary of the idea. Kobach is a former University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor who's become nationally known for helping state and local officials draft measures designed to crack down on illegal immigration, and he helped draft tough laws in Alabama and Arizona. He contends a proof-of-citizenship requirement will prevent illegal immigrants from registering to vote, but he sees the rule as part of a broader attempt to combat election fraud.” [Associated Press, 1/11/12]
ROMNEY WAS ENDORSED BY JAN BREWER, WHO SIGNED THE CONTROVERSIAL ARIZONA LAW THAT ALLOWS RANDOM DOCUMENT CHECKS AND DETAINMENT – WHICH ROMNEY ALSO SUPPORTED
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Endorsed Mitt Romney For The Republican Presidential Nomination. GREGORY: “Are you prepared to endorse a candidate in the field?” BREWER: “Well, I am, David. I have had my debate there in Arizona, and I have looked over all the wonderful people that have put themselves up for nomination, and I have decided that I am going to publicly endorse Mitt Romney. I think he's the man that carried the day, and I will get out there and work as hard as I know how to make sure that he wins Arizona and work in other places of our country to see that he wins those places, too.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 2/26/12]
2010: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Signed Arizona’s Controversial Immigration Bill Into Law. “Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed the nation’s toughest bill on illegal immigration into law on Friday. Its aim is to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants… Republicans facing primary challenges from the right, including Ms. Brewer and Senator John McCain, have come under tremendous pressure to support the Arizona law, known as SB 1070.” [New York Times, 4/23/10]
ROMNEY SUPPORTER RUSSELL PEARCE WAS AN AUTHOR OF THE ARIZONA LAW
Russell Pearce, Author Of Arizona’s Controversial Immigration Law Said Romney’s Immigration Policy Is “Identical To Mine. Attrition By Enforcement.” “Mitt Romney’s tough stance on illegal immigration during the 2012 campaign has won him the support of an influential conservative voice on the issue -- Russell Pearce, the former Arizona state Senate president and author of the state’s controversial anti-illegal immigration law. In an interview Tuesday night after a tea party dinner in Gilbert, Ariz., Pearce – who, in part due to his authorship of the SB 1070 law, late last year became the first Arizona legislator to be ousted from office in a recall election – described the former Massachusetts governor’s stand on illegal immigration as the same as his own. ‘His immigration policy is identical to mine,’ Pearce said. ‘Attrition by enforcement. It’s identical to mine – enforce the laws. We have good laws, just enforce them.’” [Washington Post, 4/5/12]
• Of Romney’s Position On Illegal Immigration, Pearce Said, “I Don’t Want To Take Credit For Being There And Helping Him Write It, But Much Of His Policy Was Modeled -- By People Who I’ve Worked With -- After My Legislation.” [Washington Post, 4/5/12]
ROMNEY TOUTED THE ENDORSEMENT OF FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR – KNOWN AS A “MONSTER” IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY
Romney Announced The Endorsement Of Former California Governor Pete Wilson And Named Wilson His California Campaign Co-Chairman. [Romney For President, Press Release, 2/6/12]
San Francisco Chronicle: “To Many California Latinos, Former California Gov. Pete Wilson Is ‘A Monster… A Frankenstein.’” “To many California Latinos, former California Gov. Pete Wilson is ‘a monster ... a Frankenstein,’ says Latino leader Arturo Vargas.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 3/20/10]
Wilson Is The “Ultimate Bogeyman” To Latinos For His Support For California’s Proposition 187. “United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez calls Wilson "the ultimate bogeyman" for his advocacy of 1994's anti-immigration Proposition 187 that sealed his re-election.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 3/20/10]
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