Romney on immigration: I'm for "self-deportation"

In Monday night's Republican presidential debate out of Florida, Mitt Romney described his plan for reducing the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.: "self-deportation."

The former Massachusetts governor was responding to a question about his immigration position by Adam Smith, the political editor at "The Tampa Bay Times," who said he was "confused" about his stance on deportation.

"Governor Romney, there is one thing I'm confused about. You say you don't want to go and round up people and deport them, but you also say that they would have to go back to their home countries and then apply for citizenship. So, if you don't deport them, how do you send them home?" Smith asked.

Romney said "we're not going to round people up" but rather, financially struggling undocumented immigrants would choose to return to their home countries of their own volition.

"The answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can't find work here because they don't have legal documentation to allow them to work here," he said. "And so we're not going to round people up."

The former governor explained: "The way that we have in this society is to say, look, people who have come here legally would, under my plan, be given a transition period and the opportunity during that transition period to work here, but when that transition period was over, they would no longer have the documentation to allow them to work in this country. At that point, they can decide whether to remain or whether to return home and to apply for legal residency in the United States, get in line with everybody else. And I know people think but that's not fair to those that have come here illegally."

"Isn't that what we have now?" asked Smith, who pointed out that "If somebody doesn't feel they have the opportunity in America, they can go back any time they want to."

Romney suggested his administration would make it harder for illegal immigrants to get jobs, which would in turn lead them to seek work elsewhere.

"We'd have a card that indicates who's here illegally," he said. "And if people are not able to have a card, and have through an E-Verify system determine that they are here illegally, then they're going to find they can't get work here. And if people don't get work here, they're going to self-deport to a place where they can get work."

He said that then people could "get in line at home" and come to the country legally once they "reached the front of the line."

Earlier in the discussion, Romney said that, like Gingrich, he would support a version of legislation that would allow some young immigrants, brought to the country illegally, to earn citizenship by serving in the military.

"That's the same position that I have, and that is that I would not sign the DREAM Act as it currently exists, but I would sign the DREAM Act if it were focused on military service," Romney said, echoing Gingrich's stated position on the topic.

The issue of immigration is likely to play a huge factor this election in Florida, a diverse state with an increasingly large Hispanic population. In the Republican nomination contest, Gingrich has taken a softer position on the issue than his rival: the former speaker has favored granting amnesty to those who have lived in the country for a long time and have families here; Romney, on the other hand, has recently said such a policy would encourage illegal immigration.

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[MENG1AA]

Yeh! self deport first of all why they come because USA better than where they were. So you think they will go back where they did not want to be! ha--ha---ha---ha---have you ever thought these people have citzen sister, brothe, mothe , father children....so you think their relatives see you simply making life hell for these people they have a ballot card in their hand multiplay 20 million by atleast 2 relative who is citzen so go figure which politician has a gut to make hell life here for these people.

[Unitedupfront]

Look insted of detaining and have them wait for a judge to hear their case If they want to go I say I they are not criminals LET THEM GO. why spend tax money to have them loked up waiting to see a judge. I have a friend that was detained last wednesday and they told him that he was going to be deported this wednesday it never happened. He was exited to see his family this week but no they said he has to wait to be seeing by a judge. He told Immigrationg that he wanted to go this following wednesday back to mexico and they said he has to wait how much more tax payer money do they have to waste IF HE WANTS TO GO BACK BY ALL MEAN LET THE POOR GUY GO HE IS WILLING TO PAY HIS TICKET TO MEXICO. Anyone out there willing to speak up. ICE agents I hope you are happy by spending all our tax dollars on kepping peaple loked up.

[jack3478]

Romney is for 'self deportation' and Gingrich is for amnesty. NEXT!

[mwallastein]

See, this is one good reason why any rational thinking American is have a ball laughing at these two clowns-Ro-momoney and Gangrene-rich.

Listem Romney, I'm a thief, and according to you, I should "voluntarily" go to prison, see that's the way a fantasy society works for rich outta touch idiots like you...moron!

[whatacountry]

we need to start deporting these criminals five hundred miles into the interior of the country like Eisenhower used to do, 95% SELF DEPORTED when he did that, they didn't want to end up in a strange place, we need to start doing the same thing again!

[Daves1221]

WHERE DOES THE BLAME LIE?

If you want to keep paying out your hard earned money in feeding, medicating, housing and overpopulating the penal system, just keep on ignoring the obvious. Try as they may—Illegal Immigration isn't just a south of the US border issue; it is from every corner of the world they come? A major majority of the legal Hispanic genealogy family history goes back hundreds of years. Their indigenous peoples have become the scapegoat for every illegal alien and the Democrats have built on that situation? Both political parties have been pampering illegal aliens, especially the pregnant Mothers for decades, who smuggle their unborn babies through an undermanned, poorly constructed border fence. Every day you are subsidizing migrants and immigrants who are already versed on the entitlement nation called the United States. As soon as they apply they receive free pre-natal care and later schooling through K-12, with all the welfare, that the parents live off these entitlements. Same with so-called Guest worker farming families who the taxpayer once again is exploited by the business owners, who take their sick laborers to the emergency room and other family members? The American taxpayer also pays for their children's education and other welfare benefits that Americans are held accountable through taxation.


This is America's future if voters don't orally storm the fortress Congress and speak up for your fellow jobless workers, which are being exploited by nationwide company owners as they hire illegal aliens. Billions of dollars are extorted from you payroll check, that encourages even more people to scorn our immigration laws, bringing their poverty with them; adding to even more countrywide poverty. Neither the democrats and the ultra Left or the Republicans seem to have any sense of loyalty to "We the People" From now until the 2012 election many of these indifferent lawmakers, will be dismissed from office as the American public are riled? They will be replaced by TEA PARTY CONSTITUTIONALISTS, as we have already seen in the previous midterm elections. The very core of our Constitution is under serious attack, by the White House and the Liberal Progressive Czars. They are blocking through regulations the Canadian KeyStone XL pipeline and even undermining through presidential executive order the deportation of foreign nationals, with no detainment.


'The Legal Workforce Act 'commonly known as Mandatory E-Verify. This computer generated program allows the business owner to detect the majority of the illegal aliens already hired and reject them from the job market or suffer harsh sanctions that does not exclude prison time. Plus "The Birthright Citizenship Act" to stop the inducement of bringing unborn infants into the country, that provides free welfare, education and health care.. The legal public group called Judicial Watch is digging out the corruption in Washington DC, and have revealed allegations of voter fraud, to cement votes for the resident president by illegal means in our already compromised election system. Go to http://www.rightsidenews.com for all the information.


Why should the states of Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah be terrorized by the Department of Justice morons and the Obama Liberal Czars over the policing policy to decline the illegal alien invaders, when in actual fact numerous administrations are to blame for this abuse of the States and handing out free welfare.


BE WARNED THAT NON-CITIZENS HAVE BEEN VOTING AND CERTAINLY WILL AGAIN IN FUTURE ELECTIONS ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ACORN ORGANIZATION HAS APPEARED AGAIN UNDER ASSUMED NAMES THAT INCLUDE "PROJECT VOTE." Every voter should possess official picture ID to vote? Become acquainted NumbersUSA and learn about the billions of dollars taken from taxpayers in unfunded mandates by pandering to illegal aliens. ONLY U.S. VOTERS CAN SAVE JOBS FOR THEMSELVES AND THE 22 MILLION CITIZENS AND LAWFUL RESIDENTS WITH "Green Cards."

[Daves1221]

Nobody is talking?
At the debates and Caucuses, some patriotic American should ask Gingrich, Romney, Santorum or Paul about this disgusting chaos, which has badly damaged the real estate industry for many years to come. A cousin of mine in California went to a tax meeting the other night and the discussion that came across, was the crash of real estate that was a question that neither political upper echelon wants to talk about? The "Bull in the China shop syndrome" cannot even describe the epitome monstrous run on Foreclosures. You must judge for yourself and trust your own opinion that illegal aliens must carry the financial impact of this insurmountable problem?


The truth is being kept locked up mostly by the Liberal news media. No bank, Mortgage Company wants to be associated with this mess, which even now is unresolved? The foreclosure mess was implemented by the illegal alien occupation in the form of NINA loans, were poor foreign nationals were able to purchase homes without any financial credit profile; no credit, no secured buying power. Although the problem was additionally magnified, it was government and its political hacks that threatened banks, if they didn't loan to low income persons. (Google "NINA" loans and add term fraud"); you will be amazed of the many reports on this subject, that the politicians do not want you to see?


Can you even comprehend lending money to people with no income? Not even a decent well paying job, receiving $200.000 to $500.000 loans to buy homes and at the same time, living with illegal parents living foothold infants collecting food stamps? This happened throughout America and amazingly renting out the property and placing other illegal alien families, pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars and even having the impudence to default on the mortgages. You know what happened when "You know what" hit the fan and the whole home-ownership system collapsed. The original mortgage owners disappeared no even bothering to pay the electricity, gas, trash and other bill, vanishing as they did with copious amounts of cash to their countries of origin. Billions of dollars vanished leaving county governments intimidating banks, to clean up swimming pools, trash and damaged properties. Hundreds of lawful scroungers with cash brought these homes and took advantage of this crazy fiasco and that why the real truth is being concealed. Then you will be wondering why your taxes are skyrocketing as the real betrayer's of this massive scam escaped prosecution.

[brianleesblog]

The Attrition Through Enforcement strategy encourages illegal aliens to go home on their own by making it impossible for employers to hire them by denying them jobs and welfare.

[StageRt]

I'm not a Romney fan but this method worked so well in AZ that the President of Mexico lodged a protest over so many citizens returning home that it was straining the Mexican welfare system. He then filed an Amicus Brief on the DoJ case against AZ's Immigration Law.

[sickbirds]

StageRt
No one knows for sure, but willing to bet that most of Arizona's handfull of illegals moved to other states and not back to where they came from. There are simply too many public and private handouts available to them here and they will not leave without a big push.
Last I read Arizona still has over 300,000 illegals and the Arizona Illegal Alien laws will have to be strengthened and then enforced before a meaningful amount will leave, but the rest of the states need to get their illegal alien laws on the books too.

[dead_dog_records]

Mexico doesn't have a welfare system that's why they come here to the US.
Mexicans know they can get free money from the states.
The more babies the produce the more money they get.
The states can't do ant thing about it because the Feds block their moves like Arizona.

[Vigilante77]

Much like MANY other genuine American citizen have had our fill of the unbridled breaching of our borders by the world's uneducated and unwashed! We do NOT to import any more poverty and leaches on what little is left of our social services! I was leaning toward Romney until I heard his STUPID comment that the illegals in our country would "self deport themselves"!! They know they have it SO good here in the land of free handouts for nothing that it would make NO sense for them to leave to return to Hell holes like Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Senegal, Iran, Iraq, Peru, Columbia, Somalia, Liberia, Cuba, Panama, etc, etc.. These 3rd world eyesores DO not want them and do everything they can do to promote illegal immigration to OUR country!! Come on, Mitt, get out of your mansions once in while and take a trip to downtown Washington. D.C. and look at the United Nations of poverty, uneducated, unwashed criminals that are already here and ask them if they will self-deport themselves IF you are elected!!