The Romney Record: Immigration

Romney for President 2008 ^ | 5/18/07

[Reaganesque]

FACT: As Governor Of Massachusetts, Governor Romney Took Action To Enforce Immigration Laws.

ENFORCEMENT: In December 2006, Governor Romney Signed A Memorandum Of Agreement With The Federal Government To Allow State Troopers To Enforce Federal Immigration Laws. "Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ICE, which will give specially trained Massachusetts State Troopers the authority to administer and enforce federal immigration laws in the Commonwealth. " (Office Of The Governor, "Governor Romney, ICE Sign Immigration Enforcement Pact," Press Release, 12/13/06)

IN-STATE TUITION: Governor Romney Vetoed In-State Tuition For Illegal Immigrants. "Romney also vetoed a number of outside sections of the budget, including:...A plan that would have permitted illegal aliens to pay the same in-state tuition rate at our public colleges and universities as Massachusetts citizens." (Office Of The Governor, "Romney Signs $22.402B Fiscal Year 2005 'No New Tax' Budget," Press Release, 6/25/04)

ENGLISH IMMERSION: Governor Romney Fought Efforts To Weaken Massachusetts' English Immersion Law. "But yesterday, Romney press secretary Shawn Feddeman said the governor will fight all attempts to slow the implementation of English immersion, known on the ballot as Question 2. ... 'He will veto anything that weakens or delays English immersion,' Feddeman said." (Anand Vaishnav, "Romney Firm On English Timetable," The Boston Globe, 1/24/03)

- In June 2002, Mitt Romney Said "The Approach Of English Immersion Is One That I Support. ... I Would Make English Immersion The Educational Norm For All Non-Native English Speakers." (John McElhenny, "Mitt Romney Endorses 'English Immersion' Education Plan," The Associated Press, 6/4/02)

DRIVER'S LICENCES: Governor Romney Opposed Efforts To Give Driver's Licenses To Illegal Immigrants. "'Those who are here illegally should not receive tacit support from our government that gives an indication of legitimacy,' the governor said, echoing arguments that opponents have voiced in the Commonwealth and in other states considering similar license measures. 'If they are here illegally, they should not get driver's licenses,' he said." (Scott S. Greenberger, "Romney Stand Dims Chances Of License For Undocumented," The Boston Globe, 10/28/03)

FACT: Governor Romney Would Take Action To Secure The Borders Through Physical And Virtual Fences.

Governor Romney: "In my view, there are several principles that need to be part of our immigration plan. First, to secure the border..." (Governor Mitt Romney, Interview On The Northern Alliance Radio Network, 1/27/07)

Governor Romney: "You've got to have a wall or fence or electronic surveillance. You have got to make sure we secure our border, that's first." (Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor," 9/19/06)

FACT: Governor Romney Supports Strong Reforms To Stop Illegal Immigration And Encourage Legal Immigration.

Governor Romney: "The current system puts up a concrete wall to the best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically-enabled and tamper-proof documentation and employment-verification system, and increase legal immigration into America." (David Yepsen, Op-Ed, "So Far, Romney's Been Most Impressive Republican," Des Moines Register, 7/11/06)

FACT: Governor Romney Opposes The McCain-Kennedy Bill And Any Form Of Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants.

Governor Romney: "McCain-Kennedy Isn't The Answer." "Another aspect of American sovereignty is the security of our borders. The current system is a virtual concrete wall against those who have skill and education, but it's a wide-open walk across the border for those that have neither. McCain-Kennedy isn't the answer. As governor, I took a very different approach. I authorized our state police to enforce federal immigration laws." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Conservative Political Action Conference, Washington, D.C., 3/2/07)

FACT: Governor Romney Supports A Strong Employer-Verification System That Includes A Tamper Proof Worker Verification Card.

Governor Romney: "First, to secure the border, number two, have an employment verification system. This would be a card - a biometric card - that people who are not citizens would have and before an employer hires a non citizen they would have to look at the card, type in a number on a computer, and get verification from the federal government that this person is eligible for work in the U.S. If they hired someone not so eligible that company would be fined just like not paying taxes." (Governor Mitt Romney, Interview On The Northern Alliance Radio Network, 1/27/07)

FACT: Governor Romney Supports Empowering Local And State Authorities To Enforce Federal Immigration Laws.

Governor Romney Believes More State And Local Police Agencies Should Work With The Federal Government To Enforce Immigration Laws. "Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said Tuesday that more state and local police agencies ought to consider making deals with the federal government to have their officers trained in enforcing elements of federal immigration law. ... 'I think it's a good idea for us to communicate that we intend to enforce our laws,' Romney said." (Jacques Billeaud, "Romney: More State, Local Police Should Get Immigration Training," The Associated Press, 3/13/07)

[nowandlater]

Gov. Romney was not running for the presidency in 2005. His position then was in line with what most thought was the best way to deal with the 13-20 million immigrants who were already here. It was a practical, but incomplete, position. Since then, he has devoted himself to more study of this issue from a presidential perspective, taking into account the effects of illegal immigration on the nation as a whole.

Note how the Boston Globe quote highlights McCain’s name, but follows with “among others.” Was McCain’s position the one getting the most attention in 2005? Not at the time it wasn’t. But according to how the Globe writes it, McCain’s was the position to follow in the debate. Again, a propaganda tool to mislead the reader. In fact, McCain was not the one proposing this kind of resolution; he was simply following the lead of others. To say that Gov. Romney was simply echoing McCain’s 2005 stance is dishonest.

McCain’s position itself has “evolved” since 2005. Taking up with Kennedy on immigration demonstrates that, like with McCain-Feingold, McCain is more interested in compromising principles to get along with the Democrats than he is with establishing and fighting for a position that reflects American laws, traditions and values. There can be no compromise with liberals today because they have very different goals than do conservatives. It is no longer a debate over the best way to reach the same goal. The debate is now over the goal itself. McCain apparently does not understand that.

[nowandlater]

I hope you keep bringing up the immigration issue. There are just so many goodies to play with and most of them make Romney look really good.

I recommend you find a different topic to slam him.

[EternalVigilance]

Nah. Immigration is just one more Mitt-Flop.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/16/romneys_words_grow_hard_on_immigration/

McCain-Kennedy isn’t the answer,” Romney said in a well-received speech to conservatives in Washington this month, describing it as an amnesty plan that would reward people for breaking the law and cost taxpayers millions to provide them benefits.

But that is markedly different from how Romney once characterized McCain’s bill, elements of which are receiving new attention in Congress and from President Bush. Indeed, Romney’s past comments on illegal immigration suggest his views have hardened as he has ramped up his campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

In a November 2005 interview with the Globe, Romney described immigration proposals by McCain and others as “quite different” from amnesty, because they required illegal immigrants to register with the government, work for years, pay taxes, not take public benefits, and pay a fine before applying for citizenship.

“That’s very different than amnesty, where you literally say, ‘OK, everybody here gets to stay,’ “ Romney said in the interview. “It’s saying you could work your way into becoming a legal resident of the country by working here without taking benefits and then applying and then paying a fine.”

Romney did not specifically endorse McCain’s bill, saying he had not yet formulated a full position on immigration. But he did speak approvingly of efforts by McCain and Bush to solve the nation’s immigration crisis, calling them “reasonable proposals.”

Romney also said in the interview that it was not “practical or economic for the country” to deport the estimated 12 million immigrants living in the US illegally. “These people contribute in many cases to our economy and to our society,” he said. “In some cases, they do not. But that’s a whole group we’re going to have to determine how to deal with.”

[nowandlater]

Name the only candidate who used the National Guard to arrest and deport Illegal Immigrants:

....
....
....

Answer: Mitt Romney

[nowandlater]

McCain-Kennedy didn’t exist in 2005. You can’t ding a guy for a plan that had not been created yet. Sorry you lose again.

This is wonderful. Mitt Romney has the best and LONGEST record on Illegal Immigration.

[EternalVigilance]

Romney’s Mitt-Flops make John Kerry look stable by way of comparison.

[EternalVigilance]

You can’t ding a guy for a plan that had not been created yet. Sorry you lose again.

Romney's direct quotes from a mere eighteen months ago show irrefutably that he supported the heart of shamnesty. Just another crass, opportunistic Mitt-Flop.

[amihow]

This guy is too flip floppy. He is the GOP’S hack on the issue and will turn on us if elected.

[nowandlater]

Not true, when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002, he ran on a strong anti-illegal immigration platform.

He was strong then in a liberal state. He is strong now and he will be strong as president. No shading.

EV is saying he supported McCain-Kennedy which a load of crap. In 2005 there was no McCain-Kennedy.

[CheyennePress]

Good job finding this and posting it. Romney has called the government spending, the war against violent jihad, and the immigration issue the main planks of his campaign. One thing that I believe Romney can do better than anyone is to turn up the heat on Congress by lobbying the American people.

See his actions on the retroactive capital gains tax in which he sent letters to all the citizens of Mass informing them how much the would own if the legislature pushed that bill through. The outcry destroyed that bill. And there would probably be just as strong an outcry on the immigration issue.

Romney on the Retroactive Capital Gains tax:

Now, I also went after taxes. The legislature passed—remarkably—a $250 million retroactive capital gains tax increase. Think of that. Now I knew that my veto would be overridden by the 85 percent Democratic majority. So I had my Department of Revenue send every tax payer a pro forma tax bill for the new higher taxes.

And then I waited a little while for folks to call their legislators. And did they ever. And then I sent back to the legislature an amendment to their bill that turned the $250 million tax increase into a $250 million tax refund instead.

And, amazingly, the legislature now saw the error of their ways and adopted my amendment.

[Mogollon]

Mitt is sounding better and better to me.

[WOSG]

that’s an unfair ad hominem response. This was from the Boston globe, it’s going to come up anyway.

I am thrilled to see Mitt Romney standing against this bill.

I hope he was also against the bill the Senate put together last year, and I’d like Romney to explain more fully what he felt was positive about McCain’s early proposals and explain the distinctions.

I too was willing to give Bush’s ideas a chance early on, but my views “hardened” considerably once I understood the games that were being played.

[WOSG]

“EV is saying he supported McCain-Kennedy which a load of crap. In 2005 there was no McCain-Kennedy.”

I agree. Once again, EV shoots and misses.

When did Romney formulate his immigration views and when did he come out against McCain-Kennedy? It would be more impressive/consistent if he’s held these views since he’s been running.

[dirtboy]

See post 43. The critical problem is that Romney was engaging in the game of parsing amnesty just 18 months ago.

[WOSG]

I already responded to post 43, it doesnt tell us where Romney really was on the full issue. Romney never supported McCain-Kennedy, the question is when did he come out in opposition to it? From the get go or only recently?

Romney was brave/smart enough to veto in-state tuition for illegal aliens. That says a lot more than one vague sentence, which btw, merely restates the ‘you cant deport 12 million’ truism. (No you can’t but you dont need amnesty either, you need enforcement first.)

Check this discussion of Romney’s record on immigration:

http://race42008.com/2007/05/17/romney-on-amnestyimmigration-bill/

“Nope, Jake. He was campaigning against amnesty in 2005. He vetoed a bill giving the children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates, he vetoed a bill giving illegal immigrants driver’s licenses, he gave state troopers the power to arrest illegal immigrants they encounter during the course of their daily activities. Outside of Hunter and Tancredo, he’s done more to combat illegal immigration then anyone in the field.”

PS. THIS comment is also telling ...
“ DON’T CARE IF ROMNEY FLIP-FLOPPED.

I wish McCain and Brownback would flip flop and secure our borders from terrorists instead of securing serfs for big business and votes for the Mexico lobby.

I’d rather have a new supporter than a “consistent” enemy.”

IMHO, Borwnback is at 1% in the polls because of immigration.
Rudy and McCain will NOT be the nominees — because of immigration.

I’ve seen Cornyn, who IMHO is mostly solid on immigration, ‘parse’ some things funny (eg ‘guest worker program’), and one of the heroes opposing 2006 CIRA, Chambliss, got roped into this ‘deal’ ...

Romney is more consistently good on this issue than practically any of the other major candidates (and non-candidate Fred Thompson, who was nearly mcaniac on the issue).

I’m still liking Romney/Hunter.

[dirtboy]

Romney never supported McCain-Kennedy, the question is when did he come out in opposition to it? From the get go or only recently?

To me, the real problem is that as recent as 18 months ago, he was engaging in the same parsing of amnesty that we see from McCain and Bush. I'm tired of politicians parsing away the clear meaning of words in their efforts to sell us a pig in a poke.

[Swordfished]

I’ve also hardened my views over time with respect to illegal immigration. Actually I know very few people who haven’t.

Me as well. I bought into Medved's arguments that it's just crazy to deport 12 million people at once. It's a pure straw man - it need not be done all at once. It could take 5-20 years or longer, but it's doable.

One of the things that really set me off was that this bill's cost will be $2.4 trillion dollars. $2.4 trillion dollars to address the issue in the wrong way - what a waste! Do it right.

[Saundra Duffy]

Go, Mitt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The man has a record . . . a good record.

[WOSG]

No, that’s not the real problem.
The real problem is that we have close to half the Republicans in the Senate, including McCain and Brownback, who signed up for McCain-Kennedy, an odious piece of legislation.

You haven’t disputed the point that Romney never supported it, but you haven’t told me when he came out against it either.

I dont see Romney parsing needlessly, his 2005 statement was just one of those truisms ... it’s one thing to be suspicious of such a statement, but another to wrongly draw a conclusion from it. Better to dig deeper and find out where he really stands.

Here’s another data point that tells me Romney is signalling we won’t be a wimp on immigration:

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http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/g/d5bd0694-1fef-4412-8493-167677bf3eb0

MR: [First] we secure the border, two, we have an employment verification system, and three, of the 12 million who are here, I’m telling them go register, go get your card, we’re going to have a realistic attrition program. And it’s an RAP, realistic attrition program. If they, for instance, have a child in school, we may let them complete the school year, and then they return home. When they are home, they’re able to apply for permanent residency, or for citizenship, or anything else they’d like to apply for. But they get no advantage by having been here illegally. And that for me is the key thing. If somebody is going to get a special pathway by having come here illegally to be able to stay, or become a citizen, then that’s rewarding illegal activity. It’s not fair to those who stood in line. And in my view, it’s a form of amnesty.

HH: Now Governor, in McCain-Kennedy, there was a provision for the awarding to illegal immigrants of social security benefits for the years they had spent working in this country. Do you favor that?

MR: No, I think that’s another mistake in the bill. There are a number of things that are wrong in it. The provision of social security for illegal aliens, I think, was a mistake. The provision that said that you could get in line to become a permanent resident or citizen by paying three of your last five years of taxes, that was a mistake. And the whole concept that people who are here illegally would receive an advantage towards being able to stay here, relative to people who’ve been waiting in line in their own country, that doesn’t make sense to me, and it says to people globally, hey, if you want to get ahead in coming to America, don’t wait in line in your home country, but go over there on a tourist visa, and stay over. That’s the wrong signal.