Mitt Romney Ripped for DREAM Act Veto Threat, Alienates Some Latinos
EmailCHICAGO – Largely lost in the build-up to the Iowa caucuses was a moment that could ultimately prove decisive in this year’s presidential election: Mitt Romney’s threat to veto the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship to some undocumented children of immigrants who attend college or serve in the military.
Latinos are the nation’s fastest growing voting group – with an estimated 12 million set to vote in the election – and, predictably, Democrats have pounced on Romney’s stance.
The Obama campaign this week dubbed Romney the most extreme GOP candidate on the immigration issue, and leading Latino Democrats said the former Massachusetts governor’s immigration approach will hurt his standing among Hispanics.
“It really demonstrates how far he is from understanding the issue,” the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Charlie Gonzalez of Texas, said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters. “I understand in that particular field one will try to out-pander another, but you still have to be responsible.”
“How do you paint yourself in such a corner on immigration where you can’t walk back from that statement?” he asked.
Republicans contend that the bill would unfairly grant “amnesty” to illegal immigrants, but Romney’s stance is already alienating some Latino voters, to say nothing of Democrats and independents who largely support the measure.
Des Moines, Iowa, businessman Juan Rodriguez, a Republican voter frustrated with the harsh rhetoric on immigration from some of the GOP candidates, said he would not back Romney because of his threatened DREAM Act veto.
“My business depends on Hispanics, basically, and if there’s no immigration reform we are going to be very affected – not just me, but all the businesses that depend, like us, on the Latino community,” Rodriguez said.
“I wouldn’t vote for Romney because he doesn’t support immigration reform or the Dream Act,” he added.
Instead, Rodriguez backed Romney’s rival, Newt Gingrich, in the Iowa caucuses. The former House speaker has been the lone GOP candidate to voice support for an immigration reform plan that would implement the DREAM Act.
“I can’t opine on why Romney does or does not support the DREAM Act,” said Sylvia Garcia, who heads up Hispanic outreach for Gingrich’s campaign, in a Spanish-language interview. “That is up to each person, each citizen, each voter to make their own decision about what’s most important to them.
“Newt thinks that the people who have come here, joined our armed forces, and things like that, deserve the possibility of citizenship that the DREAM Act offers,” Garcia said.
Even Obama supporters upset with the president’s inaction on immigration reform - including Jose Zacarias of West Liberty, Iowa, the state’s first majority Latino town – believe that the Republican field’s views – Gingrich aside – will help Democrats.
“Mr. Obama made a lot of promises to Hispanics in 2008 - immigration reform, to get a chance for more people to become legals,” Zacarias said in an interview.
“The president should have focused more on Latino issues like immigration and the famous DREAM Act,” he added. “He spent too much time politically on the issue of universal health care and almost no time on Latino issues.”
Despite his frustration with Obama, Zacarias will support his re-election bid because Republicans, in his opinion, haven’t offered Latinos a better option.
“I don’t think any Hispanic in his right mind is going to vote for Rick Perry or Romney,” he said. “It might be a tough sell, but I think the GOP is helping a lot by putting those guys forward.”
Matthew Jaffe is covering the 2012 campaign for ABC News and Univision.
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Sorry, America is going through tough times. We cannot afford to put foreign nationals ahead of Americans. When we get back on our feet, then we can consider giving handouts to all these entitlement minded illegal immigrants. And when did illegal become a race? What about all the other nationalities who are here illegally, why is no one screaming how unfair the government is being to them? Give me a break.
Posted by: superflea | January 5, 2012, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
40% of Hispanics in California are in favor of repealing the Dream Act passed by Govenor Brown. It comes down to their own children are now not getting the funding for education while the illegals are and have lost jobs to the illegals. Quite ironic that they now feel the same as the other races have been feeling for years.
Posted by: FRANK | January 5, 2012, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
“Mitt Romney Ripped for DREAM Act Veto Threat, Alienates Some Latinos”
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If I were President, I would have these illegal aliens first fill the empty jobs of Mathew Jaffe and the others masquerading as ABC “reporters”. Who would be able to tell the difference, and they would be a whole lot cheaper. Might as well save some money What say you…. Mathew? Your job first.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | January 5, 2012, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm
90% of hispanics will vote for Obama 2012. Its no wonder because they are tired of people like the Arpaios, Pearces, Babeus, Becks, Santorums, Bachmanns, Romneys, Gomers, Cains, Cantors, Pauls, etc demonizing their illegal relatives. You reap what you sow.
Posted by: david smith | January 5, 2012, 9:01 pm 9:01 pm
Latinos want a better option ??? How about becoming CITIZENS and taking the citizenship test. How is that for options? Why do you assume that just because you’re an illegal you should get a free ride. No can do. If you want to live in this country, do it properly. No one is against you being here if you become a citizen. We are against you being here getting benefits, free tuition that many American students only dream of, taking our jobs, getting free healthcare. It’s sickening. For generations foreigners have come to this country and proudly became citizens of this once great nation. Why can’t you?
Posted by: Laura | January 5, 2012, 9:02 pm 9:02 pm
@Michelle Shu Jas
What exactly wrong with Ron Paul? He’s a liberator and a fighter of the Constitution of America.
Times have changed and our nation’s economy is in shambles. We cannot afford to make undocumented students from illegal immigrants new citizens. The most worrying things is that only a laughable GED is required if I remember correctly. Nope. America needs only the brightest. They need a high school diploma, a minimum of 5 passes IBs or APs, and a GPA of 3.5 or above (weighted).
Posted by: Alfonso Barbosa | January 5, 2012, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
Legit Hispanic citizens don’t support this, just those who have connections to trafficking illegals and small businesses that want to exploit them. By continuing the trend of bringing illegals to America and falsely giving them hope of getting citizenship for free and free aid. Those Hispanics give us a bad name. I support Romney or any GOP that stops these illegals because I had to wait to come to America. They should of done it the right way. plain and simple no excuses. End slavery by ending these handouts. Get a legal ID or no service! Man up you cowards!
Posted by: Jose Lopez | January 6, 2012, 12:09 am 12:09 am
Our country is strategically under attack from the inside out. Our country and its constitution is being taken apart and trampled underfoot piece by piece.
The great nation and its diminishing constitution cannot take another four year onslaught by Obama and regime.
Vote obama out! Fire obama this next election.
Posted by: Anew Perspective | January 6, 2012, 12:16 am 12:16 am
sad
Posted by: backwet | January 6, 2012, 1:07 am 1:07 am
I applaud Mitt for supporting E-Verify and promising to veto the Dream Act. I can certainly vote for him. I’ll be voting for ANYBODY, but OBAMA.
Posted by: magyart | January 6, 2012, 1:52 am 1:52 am
“Latinos are the nation’s fastest growing voting group”
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This statistic will change, with all the new voter ID laws being passed by states,
Posted by: chris | January 6, 2012, 10:04 am 10:04 am
people don’t want the dream act to pass- One question I have is, Why? Why would you not wan’t someone dreams to come true, when you have your own dreams. The Dream Act is not for just one immigrant that finish high school because he has to, not because he wants to. This Act is for the many immigrants that really want to finish high school with good grades and attend a good college/university and to not help them self, but to help the community they want to be part of. I don’t see how passing the Dream Act is something bad, in fact i see it as something good. Look at it this way, those immigrant children that attend college/university- will bring the United States new ideas and capabilities that will help the U.S. with the economics situation we have now – and if they don’t want to attend college/ university they can attend the U.S. Army,Marin, Air Force- that will bring more protraction to the United States. I have many friends that are immigrants- My friends have been here since they know how to walk- they have attend school in the U.S since PR-K. And now that we are almost going to finish off high school they tell me ” I don’t know what to do! If I go to college and graduate, no one will accept my job application, because i don’t have my social security number”. Only one time did i have to ask them “Why not just go to your country? You are a citizen their”, because even i knew the answer to that question. My friend don’t know anything about the country they where born in -they don’t even know their country/s anthem- all they know is what the U.S. thought us. It’s not any of there faults they were just baby’s that couldn’t of said “NO I DON’T TO LEAVE!”. My best friend is the one that introduce me to he Dream Act and one thing she tells me is “I don’t care if i have attend both the army and go to college for two year i’ll even attend college for two more years, if that helps me get a better job and not be like my parents. I don’t want to work for someone i want to be the boss, I want to help and be part of the United States because i don’t see my country as my home, but i do the U.S. as my home” . Those are the kids that the Dream Act is going to help (and if you thinking that if they become citizens then they can help there mom or dad become citizens no they cant do that)
Posted by: Katy | January 10, 2012, 11:37 pm 11:37 pm