CHANGE MY LOCATION
Politics
Los Angeles Examiners
Multimedia News
Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor
SEE HOW THIS STORY DEVELOPED
Related Topics: Washington, D.C.
)
Romney blasted Rudy Giuliani's stance on illegal immigration when he was New York City mayor.
"He encourages illegal immigration and provides New York City as a sanctuary city and then suddenly decides to draw the line at driver's licenses," Romney spokesman Kevin Madden told The Examiner. "The mayor can look in the mirror if he's looking for an explanation as to why we have an illegal immigration problem in the first place."
When he was mayor of New York, Giuliani enforced an executive order forbidding city workers from reporting illegal aliens to federal immigration authorities.
"There are times when undocumented immigrants must have a substantial degree of protection," he explained.
In 1994, Giuliani championed illegal immigrants.
"Some of the hardest-working and most productive people in this city are undocumented aliens," the mayor said at a press conference. "If you come here and you work hard and you happen to be in an undocumented status, you're one of the people who we want in this city."
On Friday, the Giuliani campaign explained that the mayor was forced to contend with a federal government that refused to do anything about the hundreds of thousands of illegals in New York.
The campaign also said that when Romney was governor of Massachusetts, he did nothing to stop five cities in the state from providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants. Media outlets even reported that illegal immigrants were employed by a firm that cared for the lawn at Romney's home.
Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella marveled at the "level of hypocrisy coming from the Romney campaign on this issue, which they are completely shameless about."
"The Romney campaign should take a look back at their own candidate's record," she added. "I know it's confusing because it's changed so frequently over the course of time, but under Mitt Romney's watch, the number of illegal immigrants increased in Massachusetts."
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton recently caused a stir by voicing support for New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to provide drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. In response to the controversy, Giuliani announced plans to push for a federal ban on such licenses.
On Friday, Romney unveiled a new TV ad in which he pledges to deny driver's licenses to illegals if elected president.
"Hillary Clinton and the Democrats have it wrong on illegal immigration," Romney says in the ad. "Our party should not make that mistake."
He adds: "As governor, I authorized the state police to enforce immigration laws. I opposed driver's licenses and in-state tuition for illegal aliens."
Madden told The Examiner: "Mayor Giuliani's sanctuary-city approach to illegal immigration is indistinguishable from that of Senator Clinton, unfortunately."
Comments from Examiner Readers
7:53 AM MST on Mon., Nov. 12, 2007 re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
7:30 AM MST on Mon., Nov. 12, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
4:56 PM MST on Sun., Nov. 11, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
4:46 PM MST on Sun., Nov. 11, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
3:18 PM MST on Sun., Nov. 11, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
3:16 PM MST on Sun., Nov. 11, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
2:47 PM MST on Sun., Nov. 11, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
9:57 PM MST on Sat., Nov. 10, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
6:12 PM MST on Sat., Nov. 10, 2007
re: "Romney blasts Rudy's immigration stance as NYC mayor"
Report as inappropriate
Russ G said:
BustaYa: I could conceivably approve of a "temporary" work visa but only if it's truly "temporary." That means probably a SIX month term. That's plenty of time for a law-abiding employer to find a legal, permanent resident or US citizen for the job at a decent wage & benefits. Since we have little chance of changing the citizenship process, it's important that female workers NOT be permitted to come in while pregnant and the 6-month term will stop them from "dropping anchor" here on the taxpayer's dime. If employers need the "labor" so badly, they should be willing to post an IMMIGRATION BOND on the workers that they forfeit if said "temporary" worker absconds. Another "bond" will cover medical and legal liability. These simple safeguards will put the onus where it belongs - on the employer - instead of on the backs of US citizens. When cost-shifting ends, employers may re-evaluate the true savings of "cheap" labor and hire Americans.
161 agree | 121 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Russ G said:
Romney wants to have it both ways. He's RIGHT when he damns Rudy for the pro-illegal sanctuary city he ran. He's dead WRONG when he shills for the Cheap Labor Lobby, advocating MORE H1-B visas for foreign workers to take US jobs. Yes, we need to STOP ILLEGAL "immigration" ie. BORDER JUMPING but we also need to reign in the special interests that are selling out this once-great Nation. Why bother spending tens or hundreds of thousands of $$ getting a college degree in engineering or an IT discipline when they're going to give the job to an Indian anyway?
147 agree | 146 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
The pigs will be sent back America is done with the filth coming over the border
164 agree | 143 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Giving drivers licenses or amnesty to millions of foreigners who are violating our labor and immigration laws would pour gasoline on a blazing fire and destroy this nation. It is crucial for American voters to get the truth about what were the Presidential candidates positions on sanctuary city laws, in-state college tuition benefits, drivers licenses, and amnesty programs for illegal aliens BEFORE they began running for President of the United States.
147 agree | 120 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
BastaYa said:
...(continued - from below)... Most importantly -- no more anchor babies. Foreign nationals are not "subject to the jurisdiction thereof [the USA]" and under the 14th Amendment are not entitled to birthright citizenship. Do not expect Americans to support any guest worker program until this changes. The fastest growing voting demographic is not latino voters -- it is the independent voters. The republicans underestimated those in their own party that were unhappy about the war. The democrats are making the same mistake in regards the vast majority of Americans (of either or no party) that are deeply concerned with this issue.
165 agree | 175 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
BastaYa said:
There are 20 million illegal aliens currently in the USA. The agricultural need is around 600,000. Neither the legal or illegal immigrants want these jobs. They are displacing americans in other jobs. The have broken the janitors unions in many cities, by undercutting wages -- then turned around and formed new unions with new demographics. Similar displacements have and are occurring in the construction industry, landscaping industry, hotel industry, restaurant industries and many service jobs. What part of "guest" in "guest worker" do they not understand??? This means *no* path to citizenship. Period. No extended residence in the USA. Allow the workers to come in, earn the wages, return to their native countries to invest themselves and their financial gains in their own country. This benefits both countries. Bio ID coming in. Bio ID upon returning to their homeland - to collect 20% of their held wages. Cut the number of eligible visas to countries whose workers do not return.
160 agree | 131 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
angelo I sure hope your feeling the hate , I've seen you post on several sites now including the racist marxist hispanic business forums, You won't get much support from Americans and most illegal hispanics arn't smart enough to use the internet so your wasting your time here , Nobody cares about your garbage
150 agree | 132 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Angelo Mancuso said:
Politicians and Americans should take a look at "American Harvest." Its a non-partisan documentary about immigration as it relates to agriculture. It presents the facts as they are without political bias. www.americanharvestmovie.com Anti-immigration sentiment sweeps across America. A journey from Florida to New York, including a trip to the Mexican border, reveals the lives and issues of legal and illegal migrants and farmers. Is the immigration system in America flawed? Immigrants are dying to feed America. American farmers and agriculture rely on immigrants to do jobs that Americans won’t do or feel that are simply beneath them. Some only see the problems in the news from the perspective of those extreme points of view of the left and the right side of our political system. American Harvest points out inconsistencies of the U.S. policy on immigration. Follow legal and illegal farm workers and the farmers caught in the middle of a flawed immigration policy.
146 agree | 125 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Giuliani's defense sounds like Hillary's at the last debate. "the Giuliani campaign explained that the mayor was forced to contend with a federal government that refused to do anything about the hundreds of thousands of illegals in New York." In other words, "What's the mayor supposed to do? The federal government has failed." He is beginning to sound just like her.
170 agree | 136 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree