• Romney's response to Obama plan criticized

    Chad Groening and Chris Woodward - OneNewsNow - 6/19/2012 7:40:00

    An immigration enforcement activist admits to being extremely disappointed in Mitt Romney's response to President Barack Obama's issuance of an Executive Order essentially offering amnesty for nearly one million illegal immigrants.

    When Obama issued his order last week to stop deporting some illegal aliens who were brought to the United States as children, Romney soundly criticized it as an election year political move. But when the presumptive Republican nominee was asked on CBS's Face the Nation about an alternative plan, he would only say there needs to be a long-term solution.

    William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), says he is frustrated by Romney's response to the administration's plans -- plans Gheen has described as "dictatorial" in nature.

    "Mitt Romney has refused to say that he would override it -- and he has indicated his support for [Senator Marco] Rubio's amnesty plan, which is equivalent to what Obama has just done in an unlawful manner," states the ALIPAC leader. "Therefore Romney is, in a way, either acquiescing if not directly supporting Obama's move."

    Initially, Gheen described Romney's stance on illegal immigration as being in direct contrast to President Obama's immunity proposal. But Romney's apparent flip-flop, he now says, is a big disappointment to the primary voters who supported his call for tougher border enforcement.

    "I feel very sad for the country and for all of the center-right folks out there who oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants who are going to feel helpless and very disappointed when Romney flip-flops on this, as he appears to be doing at this time," says Gheen.

    Meanwhile, Romney's chief strategist told reporters this past weekend that as the campaign goes on, the candidate will have more specifics on a number of issues.


    Can Congress do anything?
    When it comes to the Obama administration saying it is not going to deport young, illegal immigrants, there are actions that members of Congress can take. That's according to Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department counsel who is now a senior legal fellow for The Heritage Foundation.

    "They can act politically by withholding appropriations and budget monies for certain departments of the Department of Homeland Security," he explains. "Or there are members of Congress who could sue, I think, because of the fact that the president [with his Executive Order] is basically violating federal immigration laws."

    Spakovksy says it is not that the Obama administration is not enforcing laws with regards to people who are in the U.S. illegally, but that they are affirmatively sanctioning it by issuing work permits to such individuals.
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