This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/18/romney-obama-immigration-latino

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Romney risks losing Latino voters as activists push for immigration reform Romney risks losing Latino voters as activists push for immigration reform
(about 3 hours later)
Mitt Romney is coming under pressure from Latino activists to come off the fence on immigration reform when he speaks at a major conference in Florida.Mitt Romney is coming under pressure from Latino activists to come off the fence on immigration reform when he speaks at a major conference in Florida.
Latino organisations urged him to come out in support of Barack Obama's announcement on Friday suspending deportations of up to 800,000 young undocumented migrants and offering them two-year work permits.Latino organisations urged him to come out in support of Barack Obama's announcement on Friday suspending deportations of up to 800,000 young undocumented migrants and offering them two-year work permits.
Romney ducked the issue in an interview on Sunday, refusing to say whether, as president, he would reverse Obama's decision.Romney ducked the issue in an interview on Sunday, refusing to say whether, as president, he would reverse Obama's decision.
The Republican nominee is scheduled to address a conference in Orlando of Latino public officials on Thursday. Obama is scheduled to address it the following day. Obama's move upset tentative Republican plans for a modest immigration reform package. Romney had been watching moves by Florida senator and potential vice-presidential running mate Marco Rubio towards a plan that would have allowed some young illegal immigrants to work in the US legally. 
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Rubio acknowledged that his push was now dead. "People are going to say to me: 'Why are we going to need to do anything on this now? It has been dealt with. We can wait until after the election,'" Rubio said. "And it is going to be hard to argue against that."
Romney is scheduled to address a conference in Orlando of Latino public officials on Thursday. Obama is scheduled to address it the following day.
About 1,000 Latino officials have signed up to attend the three-day convention, where the increasingly pivotal role of Latinos in US politics will be among the topics discussed.About 1,000 Latino officials have signed up to attend the three-day convention, where the increasingly pivotal role of Latinos in US politics will be among the topics discussed.
Cesar Vargas, managing partner of the DRM Capitol Group, one of the leading organisations representing undocumented youth, said: "Romney needs to do a serious catch-up. I do not think he was prepared for the president's move. I think Romney is in a very difficult position."Cesar Vargas, managing partner of the DRM Capitol Group, one of the leading organisations representing undocumented youth, said: "Romney needs to do a serious catch-up. I do not think he was prepared for the president's move. I think Romney is in a very difficult position."
He added: "He has a dilemma on Thursday ... If he says he will repeal it, it will be a complete nail in his coffin." He added: "He has a dilemma on Thursday. If he says he will repeal it, it will be a complete nail in his coffin."
Polls have consistently shown Obama enjoying a huge advantage over Romney among Latinos, at least two-to-one and sometimes even almost three-to-one. But these polls hid a high degree of disillusionment with Obama among Latinos upset over his failure, up until Friday, to deliver on a campaign promise to tackle immigration reform. Polls have consistently shown Obama enjoying a huge advantage over Romney among Latinos, at least two to one and sometimes even almost three to one. But these polls hid a high degree of disillusionment with Obama among Latinos upset over his failure, up until Friday, to deliver on a campaign promise to tackle immigration reform.
Vargas reflected the new enthusiasm for Obama after Friday's decision. "We were speechless. He gave us a reason to believe in the president again."Vargas reflected the new enthusiasm for Obama after Friday's decision. "We were speechless. He gave us a reason to believe in the president again."
A poll by Latino Decisions found that the announcement had wiped out an earlier enthusiasm deficit. The poll, conducted among Latinos in the battleground states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Virginia, recorded 49% saying the move made them more enthusiastic about the president compared with 14% who said they were less enthusiastic. Earlier this year, the survey found a 19% enthusiasm deficit for Obama.A poll by Latino Decisions found that the announcement had wiped out an earlier enthusiasm deficit. The poll, conducted among Latinos in the battleground states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Virginia, recorded 49% saying the move made them more enthusiastic about the president compared with 14% who said they were less enthusiastic. Earlier this year, the survey found a 19% enthusiasm deficit for Obama.
Vargas said that he did not think Romney naming Florida senator Marco Rubio as his vice-presidential running-mate would change the dynamic. He cited several reasons, including that Rubio is a Cuban-American whereas the bulk of the Latinos in America were from Central and South America. Vargas said that he did not think Romney naming Rubio as his running mate would change the dynamic. He cited several reasons, including that Rubio is a Cuban American, whereas the bulk of the Latinos in America were from Central and South America.
The DRM Capitol Group is planning to hold a rally outside the conference on Thursday.The DRM Capitol Group is planning to hold a rally outside the conference on Thursday.
During the primaries, Romney's rhetoric was largely hostile towards immigration reform, including a pledge to veto the Democrat-backed Dream Act which would provide a route to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. He also called for "self-deportation" and described Arizona's tough anti-immigration laws as a model for the entire country.During the primaries, Romney's rhetoric was largely hostile towards immigration reform, including a pledge to veto the Democrat-backed Dream Act which would provide a route to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. He also called for "self-deportation" and described Arizona's tough anti-immigration laws as a model for the entire country.
But since becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee he has begun to soften his stance, including distancing himself from the author of some of the toughest anti-immigration laws in the country, Kris Kobach. Rubio was working on a potential compromise on illegal immigration. But since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee he has begun to soften his stance, including distancing himself from the author of some of the toughest anti-immigration laws in the country, Kris Kobach.
Rubio, in an interview to be aired on ABC Monday night, complained that Obama's move was only a short-term solution.  Rubio, whose autobiography comes out on Tuesday, used the Wall St Journal interview to express anger that the White House had not consulted him about its move, and accused Obama of taking what he called "an election year action that in the long term is going to have negative consequences".
"I know that a lot of these kids will take this as good news because they are desperate for some form of resolution," he said. "This is a short-term solution. This is a short-term solution to something that requires a long-term answer. And my bigger concern is that by doing this by executive order by ignoring and going around the Congress this may make it harder in the long term to solve this problem." The president's unilateral declaration  "sets back our efforts to arrive at a balanced and responsible approach to this issue. It poisons the well. It leads to mistrust. It makes it harder to come up with a long-term solution," Rubio said.
Rubio, whose autobiography comes out on Tuesday, said Obama should have worked with Congress and complained the White House had not approached him before the announcement to discuss it. The Democrats attempted to get the Dream Act, which would have provided a legal route for young undocumented immigrants, through Congress in 2010 but were unable to secure enough votes to overturn a Republican filibuster.
"If they were serious about a real solution to this problem and not politicising it then why don't you reach out to people? We're trying to work out a real solution," Rubio said.
The Obama campaign, building on Friday's announcement, disclosed on Monday that it had secured an endorsement from Hispanic talk show host and community leader Cristina Saralegui.The Obama campaign, building on Friday's announcement, disclosed on Monday that it had secured an endorsement from Hispanic talk show host and community leader Cristina Saralegui.
"This is the first time that Saralegui has endorsed a president or actively participated in a presidential campaign. For 21 years, Cristina and The Cristina Show entertained, uplifted, and educated the Hispanic community in the US and throughout the world," the Obama campaign said."This is the first time that Saralegui has endorsed a president or actively participated in a presidential campaign. For 21 years, Cristina and The Cristina Show entertained, uplifted, and educated the Hispanic community in the US and throughout the world," the Obama campaign said.