Thread: Hispanic leader criticizes Romney's immigration stand

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Hispanic leader criticizes Romney's immigration stand
By Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News
Published: December 17, 2007
A Hispanic evangelical leader says Mitt Romney's hard-line stance on illegal immigration has forced other presidential candidates to take a harder line and will make it harder for Republican candidates to court Hispanic voters.
"People know that we've become the bogeymen," the Rev. Luis Cortes said. "But if you look at it, the fire is being flamed and is being stoked by Mitt Romney. That is our problem."

Cortes, president of Esperanza USA, represents about 10,000 Hispanic evangelical congregations nationwide. His comments came after a teleconference in which he and other clergy who are members of Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform called on all presidential candidates to take a more compassionate approach on the issue.

In an e-mailed response, Romney campaign spokesman Alex Burgos said that Romney enjoys support from Hispanic voters across the country, "including many respected leaders ... "

"Gov. Romney believes that legal immigration is a great source of strength for America, but it cannot remain so if we as a nation do not stop illegal immigration," Burgos said. "This has been the guiding principle that he has campaigned on, and it's one that the American people expect from their next president."

But Cortes sees Romney as using a tactic that may turn on voters in Iowa, but would be a tougher sell in states like Texas and California where there are higher numbers of Hispanic voters.

"He goes on television and says, 'I'm a man of faith, and I'm a man of compassion,"' Cortes said. "My question is where is his religious faith and compassion for 12 million (undocumented) people who are hiding in our nation, who are afraid, and their prayer every day is that he not be president."

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695236878,00.html

Cortes should be complaining to and about the corrupt Mexican leaders who abuse their people and give them no opportunities. There is nothing uncompassionate about enforcing our laws and having a legal process of immigration.

Pastor Cortes needs to speak to Pastor John MacArthur and President of The Masters College Theological School. He'd get an ear full of what scripture says about people disobeying our laws.