Romney vows to ease some immigration rules

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Mitt Romney sought to broaden his appeal among Hispanic voters Thursday afternoon, recasting some of the hard-line positions he took during the heated Republican primary race on the divisive topic of immigration. cThe former Massachusetts governor, calling immigration reform “a moral imperative,” said he would help immigrants reunite with their families and would allow more temporary work visas. Immigrants who earn advanced degrees at an American university would also earn a green card. And he reiterated support for providing legal status to immigrants in the military. At the same time, he vowed to complete a 2,000-mile fence along the border to keep illegal Cheap Jerseys immigrants out. The speech was a significant departure from the blunt rhetoric Romney adopted during the Republican primary race, when he said illegal immigrants should go through “self-deportation” and leave the United States. At the time, he also criticized rivals Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich for policies seen as friendly to immigrants, and he said he would veto the Dream Act, which would create a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants. “We can find common ground here, and we must,” Romney said Thursday before a gathering at Walt Disney World by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. “We owe it to ourselves as Americans to ensure that our country remains a land of opportunity – both for those who were born here and for those who share our values, respect our laws, and want to come to our shores.” The remarks were Romney’s most extensive since President Obama – who will address the same group Friday — announced a shift in policy last week that has been hailed by immigrant advocate groups. Obama bypassed Congress to immediately stop certain deportations and instead grant work permits to an estimated 800,000 younger illegal immigrants. The move has significantly complicated Romney’s efforts to reach out to Hispanics. His advisers have scrambled in recent days, trying to determine a proper response that would both differentiate Romney from Obama without disparaging Obama’s policy, which polls show has popular support. Romney on Thursday called Obama’s policy “a temporary measure that he Cheap MLB Jerseys seems to think will be just enough to get him through the election.” He suggested that he would rescind Obama’s order and replace it with something new. “Some people have asked if I will let stand the president’s executive action,” Romney said. “The answer is that I will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president’s temporary measure.” Obama is expected to be generally well-received when he addresses the crowd Friday, although some may fault him for not making the return trip as president that he promised the organization during his 2008 campaign.