Thread: Mitt Romney on Immigration

MR. RUSSERT: Reasonable proposals.

GOV. ROMNEY: Hm.

MR. RUSSERT: The Lowell Sun, your home--one of your hometown, state home papers, said this. "Governor Mitt Romney expressed support for an immigration program that places large numbers of illegal residents on the path toward citizenship.

"`I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country. With these 11 million people, let's have them registered, know who they are. Those who've been arrested or convicted of crimes shouldn't be here; those that are paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship, as they would from their home country.'"

This is George Bush and John McCain.

GOV. ROMNEY: Now let's, now let's look at those very carefully, OK, and you're, you're a careful reader. In the interview with The Boston Globe, I described all three programs that were out there, described what they were, acknowledged that they were not technically an amnesty program, but I indicated in that same interview that I had not formulated my own proposal and that I was endorsing none of those three programs. I did not support any of them. I called them reasonable. They are reasonable efforts to, to look at the problem. But I said I did not support--and I said specifically in that interview I have not formulated my own policy and have not determined which I would support. And, of course, the Cornyn proposal required all of the immigrants to go home. The McCain proposal required most of them to go home, but let some stay. And the Bush proposal I, frankly, don't recall in that much detail. But they had very different proposals. My own view is consistent with what you saw in the Lowell Sun, that those people who had come here illegally and are in this country--the 12 million or so that are here illegally--should be able to stay sign up for permanent residency or citizenship, but they should not be given a special pathway, a special guarantee that all of them get to say here for the rest of their lives merely by virtue of having come here illegally. And that, I think, is the great flaw in the final bill that came forward from the Senate.

MR. RUSSERT: But they shouldn't have to go home?

GOV. ROMNEY: Well, whether they go home--they should go home eventually. There's a set per--in my view they should be--they should have a set period during which period they, they sign up for application for permanent residency or, or for citizenship. But there's a set period where upon they should return home. And if they've been approved for citizenship or for a permanent residency, well, thy would be a different matter. But for the great majority, they'll be going home.

^^^(Lots of words that say absolutely NOTHING...)^^^

MR. RUSSERT: The children they had born here are U.S. citizens, so do the children stay here and the parents go home?

GOV. ROMNEY: Well, that's a choice, of course, the parents would, would make. But my view is that those 12 million who've come here illegally should be given the opportunity to sign up to stay here, but they should not be given any advantage in becoming a permanent resident or citizen by virtue of simply coming here illegally. And likewise, if they've brought a child to this country or they've had a child in this country, that's, that's wonderful that they're growing their families, but that doesn't mean that they all get to stay here indefinitely. We're fundamentally a nation of laws. And let me underscore something here that I think's awfully important, because this immigration debate can sound anti-immigrant to a lot of people. It's not intended to be that by myself or, I believe, by the vast majority of others that talk about it. We value legal immigration. We welcome people coming here with different cultures and skill and education, but we are a nation of laws. And our freedoms and our liberty are associated with following the law. We have to secure our border, we have to make sure there's an employment verification system to identify who's here legally and who's not. And then for the 12 million who've come here, welcome them to get in line with everybody else, but no special pathway.

Is this any worst than RP?

I will make it easy for everyone........Here is Romney's entire plan in regard to illegals----right from his website.

http://www.mittromney.com/Issues/immigration

Nobody in their right mind is going to say "Round um all up"

The plan is enforce the laws , cut off the bennys and watch them leave , If any want to start trouble or get violent , you deal with that when it happens and they still have to leave

Your banking your whole argument against Romney on that Russert
interview and its a weak argument considering Romney's past
record on illegal immigration

Stop Illegal Immigration

Secure The Border. Follow through on Congressional commitment to build a physical and technological fence along the southern border, and secure other points of entry.

Implement An Enforceable Employer Verification System. Issue a biometrically-enabled and tamperproof card to non-citizens and create a national database for non-citizens so employers can easily verify their legal status in this country.

Reject Amnesty. Do not give amnesty or any special pathway to those who have come to this country illegally.

Punish Sanctuary Cities. Cut back federal funding to cities that are "sanctuaries" for illegal immigrants and refuse to comply with federal law or aid federal law enforcement.

Improve Interior Enforcement. Provide resources to enforce immigration laws throughout the nation, and crackdown on employers who continue to hire illegals with stiffer fines and penalties.

Encourage Legal Immigration. Streamline the system to recruit and retain skilled workers and welcome the best and the brightest from around the world to our universities.

My whole point in posting this was to see how the double standard works here, and I think I've illustrated it nicely. I made no value judgments on what was posted, I merely highlighted the portions that I found 'interesting'.

It's been suggested that I go to the Romney website to see his proposal for myself, his proposal has been posted here for me to read, and it's been suggested that I ignore his words and base my judgment on his actions as governor of Massachusetts.

The funny thing is, when those suggestions are made concerning Ron Paul's position on immigration it doesn't seem to be 'good enough'.

Thank you for the 'education'.

I posted this in another thread CFR affiliate Romney is a diehard globalist.
Note Romney authorized State Troopers to enforce federal immigration laws just weeks before his last term was up. What about the prior years looks like another Bush!

Quote:
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."

"Who voted to give States and local jurisdictions the authority to enforce the federal law? Ron Paul!"

Quote:
"Romney also expressed interest in expanding the number of H-1B visas, which allow employers to seek temporary help from foreigners holding at least a bachelor's degree. 'H-1B visas are a great source of a brain magnet, if you will, bringing people into this country who have skill and experience from other countries,' he said. Lamenting that many foreign doctoral candidates must leave the country after graduation, Romney added: 'I'd rather staple a green card to your diploma and say that if you can get a Ph.D. from one of our great institutions, we'd love you to stay here.'" September 25, 2007; The Associated Press

"Romney argued, though, that American businesses need 'skilled' immigrants. 'If you're so lucky to be in India, let's say, and you've done real well in school and you've gotten a scholarship to come to Iowa State to study...you're going to get a Ph.D, the only condition...is once you've got your degree, you've got to go home. In my opinion if you've got a Ph.D from Iowa State, we'd like you to stay,' Romney says. 'We'll staple a green card to your diploma.'Romney said current immigration policy has made it 'almost impossible' for people with skills and advanced degrees to become citizens, 'but if you don't have any skill or any education, you can just walk across the border.' Romney declared that current immigration laws do not make sense." February 8, 2007; Radio Iowa News

"Romney wants all the high IQ foreigners in the World to come here and, through quotas, further globalize our economy."

Quote:
OFFICIAL STANCE on keeping illegal aliens from getting jobs:

"[I]n favor of id cards for aliens and of a national database for everyone" because: "Governor Romney will issue a biometrically-enabled and tamperproof card to non-citizens and create a national database so employers can easily verify the legal status of non-citizens in this country." November 9, 2007; Romney Campaign Press Release on Immigration

"He wants a "national database" with a biometric card, we're next with the National ID and eventually chips in our forehead! We will all be numbers no names!"

high IQ foreigners in the World to come here

Why not?

This is LEGAL immigration. Arent we fighting
ILLEGAL immigration?

The US benefited greatly from the minds
of Einstein and co. not to mention the
hordes of scientists who helped this
country archieve so much.

Originally Posted by odiesback

high IQ foreigners in the World to come here

Why not?

This is LEGAL immigration. Arent we fighting
ILLEGAL immigration?

The US benefited greatly from the minds
of Einstein and co. not to mention the
hordes of scientists who helped this
country archieve so much.

Plus, this is the same type of immigration policy that Australia uses---and Canada as well.

They use a point system-----points given for language, skills, education, current citizens who are family members, etc.

Both do let in some uneducated people for their guest worker programs, legal citizenship-----but the majority of those let in for citizenship are based on the point system.

Australia even adds----what country are they coming from---due to their problems with the radical Muslims.

Originally Posted by odiesback

high IQ foreigners in the World to come here

Why not?

This is LEGAL immigration. Arent we fighting
ILLEGAL immigration?

The US benefited greatly from the minds
of Einstein and co. not to mention the
hordes of scientists who helped this
country archieve so much.

Did you miss the issues with illegals getting in state tuition in some States. Not only do they rob what our citizens should get they are also qualify for the quotas!

"Romney also expressed interest in expanding the number of H-1B visas, which allow employers to seek temporary help from foreigners holding at least a bachelor's degree. 'H-1B visas are a great source of a brain magnet, if you will, bringing people into this country who have skill and experience from other countries,' he said. Lamenting that many foreign doctoral candidates must leave the country after graduation, Romney added: 'I'd rather staple a green card to your diploma and say that if you can get a Ph.D. from one of our great institutions, we'd love you to stay here.'" September 25, 2007; The Associated Press

"Romney argued, though, that American businesses need 'skilled' immigrants. 'If you're so lucky to be in India, let's say, and you've done real well in school and you've gotten a scholarship to come to Iowa State to study...you're going to get a Ph.D, the only condition...is once you've got your degree, you've got to go home. In my opinion if you've got a Ph.D from Iowa State, we'd like you to stay,' Romney says. 'We'll staple a green card to your diploma.'Romney said current immigration policy has made it 'almost impossible' for people with skills and advanced degrees to become citizens, 'but if you don't have any skill or any education, you can just walk across the border.' Romney declared that current immigration laws do not make sense." February 8, 2007; Radio Iowa News

With these visas high IQ foriegners, by quotas, will go ahead of the line of our citizens for our jobs. Do you think that is fair for our citizens and furthermore will influence more globalism? Am I the only one capable of seeing through this disaster for our economy?