IMMIGRATION
"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." — Jan. 24, 2012
"I'll also complete the fence, I'll make sure we have enough Border Patrol agents to secure the fence, and I will make sure we have an E-Verify system and require employers to check the documents of workers." — Feb. 24, 2012
Romney's been all over the map on immigration, but he likely knows that "completing the fence" along the U.S.-Mexico border is both logistically infeasible and unlikely to completely halt the flow of illegal immigration, not to mention that "self-deportation" programs have met with little success in the past.
It might be a bit far-fetched to expect Romney to become America's "first Latino president," but if he wants his party to continue winning elections, he can't afford to permanently alienate Latinos -- the country's fastest-growing ethnic group. There are signs that Romney is already moving to the center on immigration, attacking the president for not enacting comprehensive reform, perhaps under the influence of his latest high-profile endorser and potential VP, Marco Rubio.
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