June 21, 2012, 12:28 pm - New York Times

In Speech, Romney Takes Softer Tone on Immigration

Mitt Romney on Thursday offered what he called a strategy for "bipartisan and long-term immigration reform" in an address to a convention of Latino elected officials in Florida.

In the speech, which also touched on the economy, Mr. Romney dropped the confrontational tone he took on immigration during the Republican primary. Instead, he promised to work in a series of areas to help immigrants and their families while discouraging people from coming to the country illegally.

"Immigration reform is not just a moral imperative, but an economic necessity as well," Mr. Romney said. "We can find common ground here, and we must. We owe it to ourselves as Americans to ensure that our country remains a land of opportunity - both for those who were born here and for those who share our values, respect our laws, and want to come to our shores."

But Mr. Romney, who has refused to say whether he would overturn a policy announced last week by President Obama that would stop the deportation of some illegal immigrants who were brought to the country as children, again sidestepped that question.

"Some people have asked if I will let stand the president's executive action," he said. "The answer is that I will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure."

Even as he started speaking, Mr. Romney's campaign released an outline of his plan, which would include giving green cards to immigrants who earn advanced degrees at American universities; providing a path to legal status for illegal immigrants who serve in the military; and cutting red tape.

"As president, I will stand for a path to legal status for anyone who is willing to stand up and defend this great nation through military service," Mr. Romney said.

The nearly twenty-minute speech was met with tepid applause and moments of pointed silence. He seemed to hit his stride near the middle of his remarks, when he talked about balancing the budget, giving parents a choice of where to send their children to school, and providing a path to legal status for immigrants who have served in the military. At the end, about half the room stood up to applaud.

Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, said that the fact that Mr. Romney addressed the conference was a meaningful gesture.

"It was a great speech, I was real impressed with it and I'm glad he came," Mr. Bush said. "I think he was received respectfully and warmly."

Democrats criticized Mr. Romney on immigration issues even before the speech was delivered.

In a memo to reporters, Bill Burton, a founder of Priorities USA Action, a "super PAC" backing Mr. Obama, wrote that Mr. Romney was attempting to hide his real views on the issue from voters.

"Mitt Romney's speech in Florida today will be an attempt to cover up the divisive rhetoric and draconian policies he has espoused for years on immigration," Mr. Burton wrote. "Today's slick speech will not change the fact that Romney has repeatedly used divisive language to propose an extreme immigration policy."

The issue of immigration is shaping up as a critical one in the presidential election. Mr. Romney trails President Obama by wide margins among Hispanic voters, a gap which could provide the difference in important swing states like Colorado, Nevada, Florida and Virginia, where Latino populations are growing.

Mr. Obama is scheduled to speak to the same group on Friday. But for now, the pressure is on Mr. Romney to increase his appeal among Hispanic voters.

Advisers inside and outside Mr. Romney's campaign have urged him to shape a positive message to Hispanics on immigration and dispel the harsh image he created during the primaries.

"Ultimately what we're talking about here is the tone is what has hurt Republicans in the past, not the policies,'' said Alberto Martinez, an adviser and spokesman for the campaign on Hispanic issues.

But that effort is likely to run headfirst into some of Mr. Romney's conservative supporters. Many in the Republican base believe that any solution that lets illegal immigrants remain in the country is unacceptable. During the primary race Mr. Romney courted these voters with talk of "self-deportation" and his approval of Arizona's harsh immigration law.

In two previous addresses to Hispanic groups, Mr. Romney ignored immigration. On Wednesday the Romney campaign abruptly cut short a telephone press conference when all the questions were about immigration - and the campaign wanted to talk about the economy.

"The reason that immigration is important is not because it's the priority issue but because it's the issue that can turn Hispanics off,'' said Ana Navarro, a Florida-based adviser to Senator John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008. "If a candidate has the wrong tone and the wrong rhetoric on immigration, Hispanics won't listen to any of his proposals on anything else.

Ahead of the Florida speech on Thursday, Mr. Romney's campaign promised to forge "lasting solutions" to what he called the "nation's broken immigration system." He said he would work with both parties to pass immigration reform.

But the brief outline did not say how he would overcome the gridlock that has blocked comprehensive immigration reform in the Congress for more than a decade.

Senator McCain, Republican of Arizona, also promised to work with Democrats on illegal immigration reform. He abandoned that effort in 2007 in the face of intense opposition by conservatives.

Mr. Obama also pledged during the 2008 campaign to pursue comprehensive changes to the immigration system in the country. The president increased border enforcement, but faced similar opposition among Republicans in Congress to pursuit of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country.

Ashley Parker contributed reporting from Florida.