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Mitt Romney on Immigration
Q: Governor Romney, you have also called Senator McCain's immigration plan amnesty. Are you prepared to say that sharing the stage with him tonight? And how do you explain your statement to the Lowell Sun last year in which you said, quote, "Those that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process toward application for citizenship as they would from their home country." Why isn't that amnesty as well, sir? MR. ROMNEY: Well, my view is this. People should have no advantage by having come here illegally. WALLACE: But you're not telling them to go home, sir. MR. ROMNEY: I am going to tell them to go home, but they start by beginning the process of applying for citizenship. But I do not believe -- or applying for permanent residency. They're not going to be barred from doing that, but they do not get any advantage by having come here illegally. That's the key part of what I objected to in McCain-Kennedy. McCain-Kennedy, what it did is said that people who are here illegally get a special pathway. They're not like all the other immigrants in the world that want to come to this great country; they get a special pathway. That's what's wrong about it. If you're here illegally, you should not have a special pathway to become a permanent resident...
Illegal immigration has got to end and any form of citizenship amnesty is troublesome.
'If people would like to apply to become a United States citizen to get a green card, they are welcome to do so,' Romney said. 'But there should not be an advantage given to people who are here illegally to do so.' Instead, the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally should be required to register with the government, according to Romney. 'When we learn how many people there are and what their individual circumstances are, then we can decide how to proceed with each individual,'
The first thing I'd like them to do is to register, so I know how many there are, and what their circumstances are. And on that basis, we can see who would receive temporary employment visas and who would instead be required to return home.
Campaigning in northern Michigan, where many employers have struggled to fill jobs in hotels and restaurants during the summer tourist rush, Romney said more temporary workers should be allowed where there are labor shortages. "The answer to that is simple, which is issue more visas," Romney told reporters. "If our employment sector needs additional immigrant laborers, then issue the visas necessary to provide that work force."
Now I realize that there are some states that rely on immigrant populations to carry out agricultural business. Maybe Pres. Bush's idea of a guest-pass program may be the right answer for that kind of setting ... but to have that turn into a permanent citizen status or to encourage illegal immigration is something that we should take care to avoid.
The first thing I'd like them to do is to register, so I know how many there are, and what their circumstances are. ...And on that basis, we can see who would receive temporary employment visas and who would instead be required to return home.
Presidential contender Mitt Romney presented his immigration plan Wednesday, telling Dallas County Republicans that the country should erect a barrier along its border with Mexico and develop an employment verification system aimed at detecting undocumented workers.
"I am in favor of building a fence and having a secure border."
"There is a practice in this country that I find hard to understand, which is practice that some cities saying they are going to give safe haven or sanctuary to those who come here illegally. In my view it doesn't make a lot of sense for taxpayers across the country to send billions of dollars into these safe haven and sanctuary cities while they continue to flaunt the American law. I suggest that we are going to cut back on money we send to these sanctuary cities so they support the law."
"I think we ought to reduce federal funding to cities that call themselves sanctuary cities."
You have to end sanctuary cities. You have to cut back on federal funding to cities that continue to call themselves sanctuary cities and welcome people in, as New York has done. And you have to say to employers that hire people illegally, "That's also going to be sanctioned." This is the way we're going to have to finally end it.
Romney said he favors a system that would identify people who legally entered the United States to work. Employers that continue to hire illegal immigrants would face government penalties. 'That'll stop the flow of people into this country for work because they won't be able to get work,' Romney said.
'We should put in place an employment verification system,' Romney tells an audience member in a scene from one of his 'Ask Mitt Anything' town hall meetings. 'And then, when an employer is thinking of hiring someone, the federal database immediately tells them whether they're available to be working or not. If they're not, you can't hire them.'
[Romney] said the government ought to impose punishments on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. 'It would dramatically reduce the flow of illegal immigrants into this country,' Romney said.
Romney envisions a tamper-proof I.D. card that would let businesses know whether the person is in the country legally. 'Then if that employer hires that person, we treat that employer just like someone who doesn't pay their taxes,' Romney said.
"We should put in place an employment verification system. And by that I mean that everybody that is a United States citizen with a valid social security number would be expected to get a card with their name and number and some biometric information and would indicate their work status. Whether they have a visa that allows them to work here or not. And then when an employer is thinking of hiring someone, if they don't have a valid social security number, he/she ask for the card, they put the number in the computer, and the federal database immediately tells them whether they are available to be working or not. If they're not, you can't hire them. And if you do, you get the same penalties and fines as if you are not paying your taxes."
MR. BLITZER: I see people raising their hands. But the question was, I'd only like those to speak up who believe that English should not necessarily be the official language of the United States. Is there anyone else who stands with Senator McCain specifically on that question? (Romney does not respond)