Instructions

Click on individual ratings to view quotes and other source materials for that rating.

Oppose Amnesty/Legalization

• Gov. Romney has provided a consistent opposition to mass legalization, starting with his 2008 campaign. He also names and opposes a number of rewards for illegal immigration which are a type of amnesty. Romney's opposition to amnesty is particularly credible because he rejects the idea that the nation primarily has only the choices of mass legalization and mass deportations as ways to deal with the officially estimated 11 million illegal aliens. Instead, Romney has become the prime exponent of Attrition Through Enforcement as a third option that entails a minimum level of expense and controversy in taking away the magnets that keep illegal aliens in the country, causing large numbers of them to eventually pay their own way to voluntarily move back to their home countries.
• When asked at the November 22, 2011, GOP Presidential Debate if allowing some illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. would act as a magnet to attract others, Gov. Romney replied: "There's no question. But to say that we're going to say to the people who have come here illegally that now you're all going to get to stay or some large number are going to get to stay and become permanent residents of the United States, that will only encourage more people to do the same thing. People respond to incentives. And if you can become a permanent resident of the United States by coming here illegally, you'll do so."
  Source: http://thepage.time.com/2011/11/23/transcript-cnn-national-security-debate/
• When pressed about amnesty, an advisor for Gov. Romney told the Boston Globe: "He doesn’t believe in granting them amnesty." The spokesman then said that if all incentives for illegal immigrants to be in the United States were removed, “they will go to their native countries.... You turn off the magnets - no in-state tuition, no benefits of any kind, no employment. You put in place an employment verification system with penalties for employers that hire illegals, that will shut off access to the job market, and they will self-retreat."
  Source: http://bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2011/11/29/romney-immigration-stance-once-was-close-gingrich/2e7J7LhzAMshmgaENSkdaL/story.html
• Gov. Romney's 2011 campaign website features this quote from his 2008 campaign: “I very firmly believe ... that those people who have come here illegally do not get an advantage to become permanent residents, they do not get a special pathway.” It also states that "Illegal immigrants should be required to return to their home country; giving tuition breaks to children of illegal immigrants needs to stop; federal funding for cities who consider themselves sanctuary cities should be reduced."
  Source: http://mittromneycentral.com/on-the-issues/immigration/
• At the GOP Presidential debate on September 12, 2011, Gov. Romney said: "...we do not give instate tuition credits to people who come here illegally. That only attracts people to come here and take advantage of America's great beneficence. And with regards to giving driver's licenses to people that are here illegally, that creates a patina of legal status. There are sanctuary cities in some parts of the country."
  Source: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1109/12/se.06.html
• During his 2008 Presidential campaign, Gov. Romney said: “The wrong answer is amnesty. We tried it twice before. Amnesty only led to more people coming into the country 'cause they say, 'Oh gosh, look if you get in illegally, ultimately they'll let you stay.' That's the wrong message.”
  Source: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/09/03/romney-amnesty-the-wrong-way-to-go/?fbid=lRc9MgTtDOr
• Gov. Romney also said: “I disagree fundamentally with the idea that the 12 million people who've come here illegally should all be allowed to remain in the US permanently, potentially some of them applying for citizenship and becoming citizens, others just staying permanently. That is a form of amnesty, and that it's not appropriate. We're a nation of laws. Our liberty is based upon being a nation of laws. I would welcome those people to get in line with everybody else who wants to come here permanently. But there should be no special pathway to permanent residency or citizenship for those that have come here illegally.”
  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/us/politics/05text-rdebate.html?_r=1
• At the Republican debate on September 7, 2011, Gov. Romney said: "We can't talk about amnesty, we cannot give amnesty to those who have come here illegally. We've got 4.7 million people waiting in line legally. Let those people come in first, and those that are here illegally, they shouldn't have a special deal."
  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/us/politics/08republican-debate-text.html?pagewanted=all
• At a September, 2011, Hispanic Conference in Tampa, Gov. Romney said, “We must stop providing the incentives that promote illegal immigration."
  Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/02/2388089/romney-takes-tough-line-on-immigration.html#ixzz1XD81j5qD
• At the Republican debate on September 7, 2011, Gov. Romney said: "I learned this when I was with border patrol agents in San Diego … The reason they come in such great numbers is because we've left the magnet on … And we went in and talked about sanctuary cities, giving tuition breaks to the kids of illegal aliens, employers that, employers that knowingly hire people who are here illegally. Those things also have to be stopped."
  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/us/politics/08republican-debate-text.html?pagewanted=all
• In 2006, Gov. Romney told the following to Bloomberg News: "[T]he 11 million immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally "are not going to be rounded up and box-carred out." Law-abiding people who pay taxes, learn English, and don't rely on government benefits should be allowed to "get in line" to apply for citizenship.... We need to begin a process of registering those people, some being returned, and some beginning the process of applying for citizenship and establishing legal status.... We're not going to go through a process of tracking them all down and moving them out.... We should have those individuals who are here illegally begin a process either of returning to their homes -- particularly those that are unable to be here without government support or those who are involved in crime --or beginning a process of registering for a citizenship, applying for citizenship and then carrying out the process necessary to get there."
  Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/11/28/bloomberg_articlesLVCMLA1A1I4I.DTL

Mandate E-Verify

• Gov. Romney earns a GOOD rating for talking about ending the jobs magnet as a key part of immigration enforcement and for calling for a strong workplace enforcement system. He misses an EXCELLENT rating because he hasn't been explicit in what kind of verification law he backs and how to fully implement and enforce it once passed into law.
• At the GOP Presidential debate on September 22, 2011, Gov. Romney said: "We have to have a system like E-Verify that employers can use to identify who is here legally and illegally. We have to crackdown on employers that hire people that are here illegally."
  Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/22/fox-news-google-gop-2012-presidential-debate/#ixzz1Z5GgIEnp
• Gov. Romney's 2011 campaign website features this quote from his 2008 campaign: "An employer verification system must be implemented to ensure jobs are not given to illegal immigrants."
  Source: http://mittromneycentral.com/on-the-issues/immigration/
• At the Republican debate on September 7, 2011, Gov. Romney said: "I learned this when I was with border patrol agents in San Diego … The reason they come in such great numbers is because we've left the magnet on. And I said, 'what do you mean, the magnet?' And they said, 'when employers are willing to hire people who are here illegally, that's a magnet, and it draws them in.' And we went in and talked about sanctuary cities, giving tuition breaks to the kids of illegal aliens, employers that, employers that knowingly hire people who are here illegally. Those things also have to be stopped."
  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/us/politics/08republican-debate-text.html?pagewanted=all/
• At a September, 2011, Hispanic Conference in Tampa, Gov. Romney said, “Employers in the U.S. who knowingly hire people who are here illegally — that’s the magnet,” he said. “So we have to crack down on employers that hire illegals, make it easy for them to determine who’s here legally and who’s not, and then crack down on those who hire illegals.”
  Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/illegal-immigration-is-flash-point-for-republican-white-house-hopefuls/2011/09/01/gIQAUb0LvJ_story.html?hpid=z3
• In his 2008 Presidential campaign, Gov. Romney said, “The United States needs an employment-verification system that helps prevent illegal immigrants from getting jobs and punishes employers that knowingly hire them. That'll stop the flow of people into this country for work because they won't be able to get work.”
  Source: http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/10526247.html

Reduce Overall Immigration

• We are unaware of Gov. Romney ever saying anything about the overall numerical level of immigration. He appears oblivious to the possibility that never-ending, immigration-driven, rapid population growth might be negative for Americans' quality of life or the natural environment. During the 2008 campaign, he seemed to indirectly be pushing for even higher levels of immigration as he regularly called for more highly skilled immigration. We rated him BAD.

End Chain Migration

• Gov. Romney has not made his position clear regarding chain migration.

End Visa Lottery

• Gov. Romney has not made his position clear regarding the visa lottery.

Limit Unfair Worker Competition

• At the November 22, 2011, GOP Presidential Debate, Gov. Romney said, "The right course for our immigration system is to say we welcome people who want to come here legally. We're going to have a system that makes that easier and more transparent. But to make sure we're able to bring in the best and brightest -- and, by the way, I agree with the speaker in terms of -- I'd staple a green card to the diploma of anybody who's got a degree of math, science, a Masters degree, Ph.D. We want those brains in our country. But in order to bring people in legally we've got to stop illegal immigration. That means turning off the magnets of amnesty, in-state tuition for illegal aliens, employers that knowingly hire people that have come here illegally."
  Source: http://thepage.time.com/2011/11/23/transcript-cnn-national-security-debate/
• In his jobs plan released on September 6, 2011, Gov. Romney said he "will raise the ceiling on the number of visas issued to holders of advanced degrees in math, science, and engineering whohave job offers in those felds from U.S. companies."
  Source: http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2011/09/believe-america-day-one-job-one

Secure Border & Fence

• Gov. Romney is a consistent supporter of the completion of the congressionally ordered fence, and he provides other detailed promises about securing the border, including taking away incentives like jobs and benefits that entice more people to try to cross illegally.
• At a September, 2011, Hispanic Conference in Tampa, Gov. Romney said, “Our country must do a better job of securing its borders and as president, I will. That means completing construction of a high-tech fence and investing in adequate manpower and resources."
  Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/romneys-immigration-speech/2011/03/29/gIQABVlozJ_blog.html
• When Gov. Romney was asked at the Republican debate on September 7, 2011, if he supported building a fence along the entire 2,600 mile-long Southern border, he replied: "Yes. We got to -- we got to have a fence, or the technologically approved system to make sure that we know who's coming into the country, number one. Number two, we ought to have enough agents to secure that fence and to make sure that people are coming over are caught. But the third thing, and I learned this when I was with border patrol agents in San Diego, and they said, look, they can always get a ladder to go over the fence.... If we want to secure the border, we have to make sure we have a fence, technologically, determining where people are, enough agents to oversee it, and turn off that [jobs] magnet."
  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/us/politics/08republican-debate-text.html?pagewanted=all
• During his 2008 Presidential campaign, Gov. Romney's website said: “Governor Romney will follow through on the Congressional commitment to build a physical and technological fence along the southern border, and secure other points of entry throughout the country.”

Implement Entry/Exit

• Gov. Romney has not made his position clear regarding an entry/exit system.

Support Local Enforcement

• Gov. Romney earns an EXCELLENT rating because of his record as governor and general comments.
• Standing alongside Gov. Romney, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the following on January 8, 2011: "I asked him, 'Gov. Romney, can you believe that we passed an illegal immigration bill in this state and the federal government is saying we can't do it?'" Haley said, standing alongside the candidate. "And he said, 'Every state that passes a law should be able to enforce those laws in their state.' That's what we need in a president!"
  Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/08/2907200/romney-now-an-easier-sell-in-sc.html#storylink=misearch
• At a September, 2011, Hispanic Conference in Tampa, Gov. Romney said, “We must stop providing the incentives that promote illegal immigration.... As governor, I vetoed legislation that would have provided in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants and I strengthened the authority our state troopers had to enforce existing immigration laws.”
  Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/02/2388089/romney-takes-tough-line-on-immigration.html#ixzz1XD81j5qD
• While Governor of Massachusetts, Romney worked with ICE to deputize Massachusetts State Troopers to enforce federal immigration laws.
• At the GOP Presidential debate on September 12, 2011, Gov. Romney said: "One of the things I did in my state was to say, look, I'm going to get my state police authorized to be able to enforce immigration laws and make sure those people who we arrest are put in jail, to find out they're here illegally, we're going to get them out of here."
  Source: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1109/12/se.06.html

Punish Business Violators

• Gov. Romney has long been clear that a big culprit in illegal immigration is businesses that hire illegal aliens, and he repeatedly calls for tough penalties. He just barely misses an EXCELLENT rating because he hasn't talked about what tools he would use as President to increase the number of businesses that are punished.
• In September, 2011, Gov. Romney said, “Employers in the U.S. who knowingly hire people who are here illegally — that’s the magnet,” he said. “So we have to crack down on employers that hire illegals, make it easy for them to determine who’s here legally and who’s not, and then crack down on those who hire illegals.”
  Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/illegal-immigration-is-flash-point-for-republican-white-house-hopefuls/2011/09/01/gIQAUb0LvJ_story.html?hpid=z3
• During his 2008 campaign, Gov. Romney made it clear that employers of knowingly hire illegal aliens need to be punished.
  Source: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23541

Tackle Refugee Fraud

• Gov. Romney has not made his position clear regarding TPS and Refugees.

End Birthright Citizenship

• Gov. Romney has not made his position clear regarding birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens.