“I am a great proponent of legal immigration… Many of you
are living proof of the unique strength of America that is
constantly renewed by new Americans. The promise of America has
brought some of the world’s best and brightest to our
shores.”
September 2, 2011, speech to the Republican
National Hispanic Assembly Convention in Tampa, Florida
"I love immigration. I love legal immigrants coming into our
country ... My guess is everybody in this room is a descendant of
an immigrant or an immigrant himself. So we love immigration as
Americans. Immigration brings us education, new cultures, ideas,
innovative talent. It's wonderful to have legal immigration. I
don't like illegal immigration."
February 8, 2007; Radio
Iowa News
•On Amnesty
Very much against.
Illegal immigration has got to end and any form of
citizenship amnesty is troublesome.
September 13, 2007; Midland Reporter-Telegram
"The idea of an
amnesty-type provision is something I oppose and continue to
oppose."
05/23/2007, Newsmax.com
•On Legislation
"Governor Romney believes more state and local authorities
should work with the federal government to enforce immigration
laws. This builds off of his experience in Massachusetts where he
deputized the State Police to work with U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) and enforce federal immigration laws
... Governor Romney will provide additional resources to enforce
existing immigration laws throughout the nation. We cannot be
serious about our immigration laws until we provide the resources
needed to enforce them. "
November 9, 2007, Official Press
Release from MittRomney.com
"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."
September 2, 2011, speech to the
Republican National Hispanic Assembly Convention in Tampa,
Florida
"Let me tell you about immigration from my standpoint. I
think number one, we should secure out border, and number two, We
should put in place an employment verification system. And by
that I mean that everybody who is not 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."
April 3,
2007, Romney answering questions in the "Ask Mitt Anything" forum
in Derry, New Hampshire.
•U.S. Mexico Border Fence
“civil but resolute ... to 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.”
September 2, 2011, speech to the
Republican National Hispanic Assembly Convention in Tampa,
Florida
• Opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.
• Huckabee opines that illegal immigrants should go home and
start over again. According to him it is not being cruel but
being kind to those who have spent their lives in hiding and
running on sighting a police car. He feels that the country owes
this priority to the legal ones who have been waiting in line for
a long time. This would make sense and protect the borders and
the dignity of each person in the country.
• Huckabee proposed building a border fence within the first 18
months of taking office. By doing this there would be no open
door for people to just walk in and out of at will. According to
him Americans are not angry that people are coming into the
country but instead they thank God that people are trying to
break into their country rather than break out of it, but they
should come in legally which would be better for the country and
themselves.
• Huckabee wants the American citizens to hold their heads up
high. But with the illegal immigrants it is not possible since
they are throughout America in hiding while at the same time
trying to feed their families. He wants all citizens in the US
to live decently and hence the illegal immigrants should start
all over again and get a legal citizenship in order to live
decently with a sense of pride and not fear.
• Huckabee acknowledges America's need for doctors and
engineers in abundance but says they should enter the country
legally.
