Mitt Romney's Comments on the DREAM Act Will Hurt the GOP in the General Election

Latino voters, support passage of the DREAM Act. Governor Romney's veto comments put him at great risk of alienating Latino voters and Independent voters nationwide."

According to David Damore, Professor of Political Science at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, Latinos have been playing a critical role in elections throughout his battleground state of Nevada. "As the 2010 U.S. Senate election in Nevada between Harry Reid and Sharron Angle demonstrated, the Latino vote and issues such as the DREAM Act can make the difference in America’s new swing region. As a consequence, Mitt Romney is likely to rue the day he promised to veto the DREAM Act as without even lifting a finger, President Obama’s 2012 prospects for winning not just Nevada, but also Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico improved."

As the updated America's Voice report shows, the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies have been echoed by others in the GOP field. Rick Santorum made yet another attempt to appeal to the far right on immigration by calling himself “a Steve King guy on immigration,” modeling himself after one of the most xenophobic and extreme congressional voices on immigration. Additionally, fellow GOP contender Ron Paul supports repealing birthright citizenship and voted against the DREAM Act in 2010. Paul also revealed that his opposition to “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants has a distinctly political element and stems from not wanting them to become voters: at an August debate, Paul said, “I don’t think that we should give amnesty and they become voters.”

Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, said, "Romney's commitment to veto the DREAM Act not only slams the door on opportunity for young immigrants who are Americans in all but paperwork, but further slams the door on his ability to win the Latino vote. This is the most radical position a candidate can take, and for Latinos that are interested in the future of their communities, it is unacceptable to vote for someone that stands in the way of the aspirations and ambitions of young people who have done everything asked of them to contribute to the only country they know and love."