Three South Florida Hispanic Republicans endorsed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Miami on Tuesday.
Mitt Romney traveled to the Florida county with the largest number of immigrants and touted the endorsements of three Cuban-American Republicans who crossed party lines to support the pro-immigrant Dream Act.
But not one word was specifically said about immigration â one of the most high-profile issue in Repubulican politics â at the endorsement event featuring U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz Balart and former Congressman Lincoln Diaz Balart.
Romney, who has been critical of Rick Perryâs immigration actions in Texas, also criticized Newt Gingrich, who last week called for a humane path to immigration enforcement.
The New York Daily News reported that âRomney, who some conservatives have labeled too moderate, hit back at Gingrich and said it would be a mistake for the government to decide which people who come here illegally are allowed to stay.â
According to the Daily News, Romney added, âI just think we make a mistake as a Republican Party to try to describe which people whoâve come here illegally should be given amnesty to be able to jump ahead of the line of the people who have been waiting in line.â
Numbers USAÂ â an organization that supports âAttrition Through Enforcementâ immigration policy and wants âlower immigration levelsâ â has said that Romney can do better on immigration.
Numbers grades public officials on their immigration positions, and gives Romney a C-minus. The organization highlights the fact that Romney opposes amnesty/legalization, supports mandated E-Verify and punishing business violators, calls for secure borders, and supports local immigration enforcement. Numbers calls Romney âunhelpfulâ in reducing overall immigration, ending the visa lottery and tackling refugee fraud.
The Herald adds: âAfter the event, all three Hispanic leaders acknowledged they disagree with Romney on immigration.â
