By David G. Savage, Tribune Washington Bureau –
WASHINGTON — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney faulted President Barack Obama on Sunday for bypassing Congress to shield about 800,000 young illegal immigrants from deportation, but stopped short of saying he opposed the move.
During the Republican primaries, Romney said he favored “self-deportation” for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants who live and work in this country.
But on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” the presumptive GOP presidential nominee said he could support legislation that would allow some of those immigrants to stay. He also refused to say whether, if elected, he would countermand Obama’s executive order.
“With regards to these kids who were brought in by their parents through no fault of their own, there needs to be a long-term solution so they know what their status is,” Romney said during the interview, which was taped Saturday and aired Sunday. “This is something Congress has been working on, and I thought we were about to see some proposals brought forward by Sen. Marco Rubio and by Democrat senators, but the president jumped in and said, ‘I’m going to take this action’ — he called it a stopgap measure.”
Obama announced a temporary, two-year reprieve for young immigrants who came to this country before age 16, who have lived here at least five years and who have clean records. The reprieve, which is renewable, would afford qualified immigrants legal protection but would not establish a path to citizenship.
Moderator Bob Schieffer asked Romney three times whether he would repeal the executive order. Romney refused to give a direct answer, but said: “It would be overtaken by events.”
The White House and Democrats say Obama was forced to act alone because Senate Republicans blocked a move to pass the DREAM Act, which would have permitted many young immigrants to stay and seek citizenship.
