Earlier this month, asked about Mitt Romney’s immigration policy, Bettina Inclan, the director of Hispanic outreach for the Republican National Committee, stumbled into the remark that “he’s still deciding what his position on immigration is.” While the campaign distanced itself from the gaffe immediately, the comment was actually good advice, even if unintentional.
During a lengthy primary season, Romney’s effective use of base politics on immigration was a key part of his victory, especially in snuffing out Rick Perry’s potential ascent. But after those strategic attacks, which included Romney’s awkward “self-deportation” plan for illegal aliens, Romney must execute a creative pivot to the middle to attract moderate voters, especially Hispanic moderates. In an election that looks to be razor-close, how effectively Romney recaptures turf in the immigration debate could decide swing states like Nevada, Colorado and Virginia. Looking longer-term, a President Romney would have to find a solution to the immigration issue — a social crisis that has eluded political consensus for two decades — if he wanted to save his party from slow-fuse political suicide.
The immigration wars since 9/11 have left Republicans searching for a formula that allows candidates to survive litmus tests from the right — they must oppose any legalization for lawbreakers — while at the same time heeding the calls from party strategists and business interests to make our wildly outdated immigration policies reflect the realities of the modern international world.
Mary Altaffer/Associated PressMitt Romney and Latino Coalition chairman Hector Barreto Jr., left, at the Latino Coalition’s 2012 Small Business Summit on Wednesday in Washington.Romney dedicated much of the speech he gave to the Latino Coalition earlier this week to education, but here are five policy announcements — of varying degrees of political controversy — that Romney should wrap into a high-minded address on immigration and competitiveness that would capture the middle ground. While the details are important, the tone would be, too – most Americans are weary of bombastic talk radio rhetoric on this issue and are looking for thoughtful, bold leadership.
High-skilled immigration: Romney has already endorsed proposals that would allow more highly skilled scientists to enter the United States under temporary visas and to allow foreign students educated here to receive green cards to allow them to stay here and work. However, these proposals have been blocked in Congress by proponents of a broad amnesty that is a non-starter with most Congressional Republicans. Romney should demand passage of the high-skilled agenda before the graduation of the class of 2013 next spring produces another crop of international leaders, educated here in America, needlessly forced to return home to compete against us. If you graduate with an engineering degree from Stanford, we should staple a green card to your diploma.
Temporary travel: President Obama has seized travel as a means to create jobs in the service sector. He released a national strategy to cut visa wait times and endorsed an expanded list of countries from which tourists and business travelers can come to the United States without a full-fledged visa interview. Romney should build on these goals by promising to expand access to the United States to job creators by allowing visa interviews by videoconference and creating fast-track consideration for businessmen and women looking to purchase American goods, attend American trade shows, or purchase American medical services.
“Good Neighbor” visa: Romney opposes the Democratic version of the Dream Act, which would provide legal status and citizenship to those who arrived in the United States as children. What he needs to find instead is a class of immigrants whose continuing contributions to society are worth protecting. He should propose a new visa category of unlimited duration that allows “good neighbors” to remain in the United States without gaining any special advantage over those who have obeyed the law while seeking to become citizens. This “good neighbors” group would include individuals with a clean criminal record working in the military, in law enforcement, or as a first responder, people who are running businesses with at least 10 employees, or serving as clergy members or teachers. Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors in this “white hat” group are viewed sympathetically by all but the fringes of the American electorate. This would allow Romney to base his immigration policy on a person’s good behavior and contributions to society, rather than the circumstances of his or her arrival. Even those seeking a broader amnesty might see some merit in showing Americans the benefits of recognizing the contributions of immigrants who broke the rules to get here.
Enforcement: Romney has pretty much endorsed a kitchen sink approach to enforcement, but budget realities may complicate his ability to make major additional investments. It is clear that the most cost effective enforcement activity is to concentrate on criminal aliens via the Secure Communities fingerprint program and to implement new employer enforcement checks under the E-Verify program (in tandem with the Good Neighbor program). Even as President Obama has increased deportations, the undeniable truth is that mandating workplace checks is the only effective long-term approach to turning off the jobs magnet attracting illegal labor to this country.
“American Dream” constitutional amendment: The antiquated provision of the Constitution that requires the president to be born on American soil should be repealed. In becoming the first Western democracy to elect a racial minority to the highest office in the land in 2008, the United States once again demonstrated its “melting pot” quality to the world. Allowing any United States citizen, no matter where he or she was physically born, to run for president would send a similar signal that Americans care most about a person’s ideas and character, not race and origin. This goal would also put an appropriate and necessary end to the distraction of the Obama “birther” debate that has captured a sliver of the far right’s attention – most Republicans and moderate voters would embrace this “American Dream” proposal as a way to demonstrate their support of legal immigrants.
Wrapping these five policy announcements into a broader speech about how the United States needs the best talent possible to compete internationally would mesh well with Romney’s broader economic game plan. More urgently, it would reposition Romney for the general election fight by showing a different attitude on immigration and diversity issues. Getting out in front of the issue would also allow him to escape the current legislative debate over fine print of the Dream Act.
To be sure, wading into the immigration battle brings risk of attack from the right and from members of Congress who can coast to re-election in safe districts without worrying about demographic changes that affect national elections. However, unless Romney chooses to unveil a new immigration policy, the election returns coming in from states like Nevada, Colorado and Virginia on Nov. 6 may make this the first presidential election where the immigration issue denied the Republicans a victory well within their grasp.
C. Stewart Verdery Jr. served as lead immigration adviser for the 2008 presidential campaign of Rudolph W. Giuliani and was assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security from 2003-2005.
