I think it was just a mis-statement from Perry. He may have been thinking about Obama's treatment of Israel at the time. I think Isreal was being discussed just before they went ti immigration during that debate.
The heartless comment was pre-prepared. You could tell he'd practiced that line in debate prep. It was aimed, I'd guess, at a general election audience. The line backfired horribly and whoever on Perry's team suggested it should be fired immediately.
Perry is a bad debater. Okay, fine. Perry has some RINO in him on a few issues. Okay, no candidate is perfect. But Perry blatant insult of the majority of conservatives on this issue was incredibly stupid. What is MOST alarming though is his inability to think on his feet and communicate conservatism. Being right on most issues is not enough. Perry needs to be able to at least reasonably, intellectually explain what conservatism is all about. So far, I have my doubts he can do it. We had 8 long miserable years of Bush unable to communicate even when he was right, we can't deal with more of the same.
Perry can recover. It's way too soon to write him off. But if he doesn't bring his A game to these debates and keeps insulting/offending the conservative base, he won't last long.
It was in a huge way. He explained a bit better on Hannity's radio show.
He was trying to suggest, since the feds aren't doing their job on the border, these kid's common life of welfare and criminal activity was heartless. Texas wanted to incentivize legalization through in-state education rather than bare the greater social cost of inaction.
Those elements were in his debate answer but the way he said it was offensive and stupid.
I don't know how he recovers from that kind of verbal gaffe. He's not a naturally artful communicator, that is certain.
His campaign has not handled the error well and hasn't prepared him well either. However strong his total record is, his heart and head may not be in this race.