98rock.com
The Associated Press
Friday, January 13, 2012

MIAMI (AP) — Before a crowd of exiles and immigrants, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said Friday that the United States needs an immigration policy that is humane and gets the country to a point where "we no longer ever again have people hiding in the shadows."

Gingrich, stopping at the Versailles Restaurant in Miami's Little Havana, defended his viewpoint that illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. for decades, paid their bills and been good citizens should be able to get a residency permit.

"What if you've been here 25 years? What if you're an abuelo or an abuela?" Gingrich said, using the Spanish word for grandparent. "We're not gonna give you amnesty, you're not gonna have a road to citizenship directly, but we will give you a residency permit so you never, ever again have to live in fear and you and your family can relax."

Gingrich was flanked by supporters and journalists as he arrived at the restaurant and then went to the take-out window to order a Cuban coffee. Many waved signs that said, "Newt Con Nosotros" or "Newt With Us." Volunteers also distributed flyers titled "10 Reasons Why Latinos Should Support Newt Gingrich for President," which highlighted the candidate's conservative values, economic policies and record with the Hispanic community.

As the primary battles move from Iowa and New Hampshire to South Carolina and Florida, the Latino vote — and how Republican candidates might be able to capture it after President Barack Obama's overwhelming success in 2008 — is starting to get more attention.

Gingrich said he was surprised that he had been attacked for his viewpoint on immigration and urged the crowd to be tough on other candidates.

"Do they seriously mean they would deport grandmothers and grandfathers?" he asked. "Are they really going to go in and break up families? I think that's not a very conservative policy. Frankly, that's not a very pro-family policy if you ask me."

Gingrich's immigration policy resonated with Alma Aguilera, who voted for Obama in 2008 but said she would not support him in the next election. Aguilera said she is unhappy Obama has not fulfilled his promise on immigration reform.

"The Latino community is very upset," she said.

At a campaign gathering in support of front-runner Mitt Romney, immigration again came to the forefront. As Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart delivered a stump speech on behalf of Romney at a Latino restaurant in Doral, home to many of Miami's more recently arrived immigrants, he was interrupted by about half a dozen young illegal immigrants and their supporters.

The group wanted to know how Diaz-Balart could support Romney when the candidate opposes the Dream Act. The proposal would create a path to citizenship for qualified minors and young adults living in the country illegally who attend college or join the military.

The mostly older Cuban-American audience did not take kindly to the question, yelling for a young Colombian native who came to the U.S. at age 6 to get out. Diaz-Balart quieted the angry crowd and calmly told the students that although he disagrees with his candidate on the Dream Act, Romney is the only one who can get the country's economy back on track.

The exchange highlighted the differences within the Hispanic community, even within Florida, when it comes to immigration. Many staunchly Republican Cuban-American voters may be sympathetic to the plight of newer immigrants and even illegal immigrants. But when it comes to the election, that issue — and the rhetoric surrounding it — is far down on their list of priorities.

Asked about the Dream Act at his campaign stop in Miami, Gingrich said that he supports parts of the legislation but does not agree with all of it.

"But I'd like to negotiate a way to get to a pass-signable bill," he said.

Gingrich emphasized Latin America throughout his speech in Miami. He signed a letter Friday vowing to pursue a strong policy against Cuba by not lifting sanctions until all political prisoners are freed and re-establishing the 2004 Bush travel regulations. The travel regulations, which allowed Cuban-Americans to visit the island once every three years, were repealed by the Obama administration in 2009.

The promise to re-establish the Bush travel restrictions appeared to contradict Gingrich's previous stance. In an interview with Yahoo News in November, Gingrich was asked if he would shut down increased air travel to Cuba.

"No," he said. "But I would very aggressively move towards maximizing dissent inside Cuba."

The issue of travel to the island has been increasingly controversial in South Florida, where a growing population of Cubans who arrived in recent decades regularly go back and have strong family ties on the island. Meanwhile, Cuban-American Republican leaders, whose families arrived shortly after the revolution, have tried to re-establish the travel restrictions.

Gingrich also warned that an alliance between President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad represents a "direct threat to the United States." He added that the U.S. also needs to help the Mexican government defeat drug cartels.

"A failed Mexican state would be a disaster both for Mexicans and for Americans," he said.

Gingrich then went on to open a new campaign office in Orlando, another area that has a large Latino community but tends to vote Democratic. There were several bilingual campaign signs and campaign literature in the office.

Gingrich told the crowd of about 150 supporters he thinks the race will come down to him and Romney.

"I think I will be the conservative, he won't," he said. "There is a profound difference between a Massachusetts moderate and a Reagan Republican."

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