Romney’s vague promises

With Election Day only six weeks away, Republicans should use this time to clarify and specify their immigration agenda.

Since the GOP primaries began, Republicans have shamelessly disregarded the legal limbo that affects millions of families and in turn, the nation. Depending on the audience, they have flip-flopped between anti-immigrant positions and vague promises.

The most recent example of these manipulative politics happened this week.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is known for supporting anti-immigrant measures, opposing the Dream Act and criticizing Obama’s Deferred Action program. Yet, at a Univision forum, Romney said that if he were president, he would end immigration raids and massive deportations. He also promised a “permanent solution” for the Dreamers and immigration reform.

Pressed for details, Romney did what he does best: He avoided details and limited his words to what seemed like an endless series of vague promises and niceties.

Romney-who needs battleground states that Hispanic votes are key in-fails to recognize that by dancing around immigration or distorting the debate, he is burying his campaign.

For example, when Romney criticizes Obama for a record numbers of deportations, he doesn’t mention that his own party has accused the president of being soft on undocumented immigrants. When he points out that Obama has broken his promise to pass immigration reform, Romney hopes no one remembers that for the past two years, Republican lawmakers who control Congress have blocked proposals the Democrats and the president have proposed, including the Dream Act.

Latinos deserve more than touching stories about Romney’s ties to Mexico. Our growing community deserves no less than clear and detailed policies and commitments.