Mitt Romney: No Amnesty for Romney for Immigration Flip-Flops

August 16, 2007 -- It's hard to find an issue Mitt Romney hasn't flip-flopped on, but on immigration reform, the smooth-talking presidential candidate has a particularly notorious record. Despite launching a new ad in Iowa yesterday saying "amnesty will not work" and talking tough on the campaign trail, Romney supported the Bush-McCain immigration proposal in 2005, and even supported a "path to citizenship" as recently as 2006. Now, struggling to earn conservative votes, Romney has reversed himself. [Boston Globe, 3/16/07; Lowell Sun, 3/30/06; AP, 8/15/07; Boston Herald, 8/15/07]

All along, Romney has done the one thing he is consistently known for, not offering a plan of his own. Even the RNC Chairman himself, Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), blasted Romney for not offering any solutions on immigration. [McClatchy Newspapers, 6/9/07]

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"Smooth-Talking Mitt Romney may think his tough talk on immigration will get him amnesty from conservatives, but his record speaks for itself," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda. "On immigration, like on so many other issues, not only does Romney not have a vision or a plan, but his blatant flip-flops have made it impossible for voters to know where the candidate really stands. That's hardly a winning formula."
Smooth Talking Mitt Romney's Real Record on Immigration

November 2005: Romney Supports McCain-Bush Immigration Bill, Saying They Are "Quite Different" From Amnesty. According to the Boston Globe, in November 2005 Romney spoke "approvingly of efforts by McCain and Bush to solve the nation's immigration crisis, calling them 'reasonable proposals.'" In the November 2005 interview, "Romney described immigration proposals by McCain and others as 'quite different' from amnesty, because they required illegal immigrants to register with the government, work for years, pay taxes, not take public benefits, and pay a fine before applying for citizenship. 'That's very different than amnesty, where you literally say, 'OK, everybody here gets to stay,'" Romney said in the interview. 'It's saying you could work your way into becoming a legal resident of the country by working here without taking benefits and then applying and then paying a fine.'" [Boston Globe, 3/16/07]

March 2006: Romney Supports A "Path to Citizenship," Opposes "Rounding Up" Undocumented Workers." Gov. Mitt Romney expressed support yesterday for an immigration program that places large numbers of illegal residents on the path toward citizenship… 'I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country,' Romney said. '[T]hose that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship, as they would from their home country.'" [Lowell Sun, 3/30/06]

December 2006: Romney Caught Using Undocumented Workers At His Own Home. "A lawn service used for several years by Gov. Mitt Romney, who is considering a run for president, employed illegal immigrants to work on the grounds of his suburban home, according to a published report. The Boston Globe said it interviewed in Spanish four current and former employees of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, and all but one who said they had worked on Romney's property said they were in the country illegally. The employees told the newspaper the company's owner, Ricardo Saenz, never asked them to show documents on their immigration status, which is required by federal law." [Boston Globe, 12/1/06]

May 2007: Romney Opposes Immigration Bill, Even Though It Includes Everything He Supports. "The record shows Romney repeatedly has demanded stronger border security. A campaign ad calls for tamper-proof identification cards. And in a debate last week, he said illegal immigrants need to go back to their home country and 'get in line' before they can become citizens. 'That's exactly what's on the table. All of those things are part of the immigration package,' said Marshall Fitz, spokesman for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a nonpartisan organization of lawyers and professors. 'Romney and the other candidates who continue to beat their chests against this legislation are just playing to the conservative base.'" [Miami Herald, 5/25/07]

June 2007: Romney Now Calls Bill Amnesty. "Romney's response to the bill has varied with his audience. Most of his criticism has focused on the so-called Z-visa, a document proposed for registering the estimated 12 million illegal aliens in the country. Last month in South Carolina, home to the type of social conservatives Romney is courting, he said, 'I think we should not call it the 'Z' visa; we should call it the 'A' visa, because it's amnesty and that's what it stands for.' Yet a week later in Florida, he said, There are some who get involved in whether it is technically amnesty or not and I'm not really trying to define what is technically amnesty. I'll let the lawyers do that.'" [AP, 6/4/07]

August 2007: Romney Launches Ad Saying "Amnesty Will Not Work." Romney began running an ad in Iowa this week in which he says he will secure the borders and that "amnesty will not work." [Boston Herald, 8/15/07]

Source: DNC