Romney-Ryan Ticket Bad for Immigrants

Not friendly to immigrants (Photo: Flickr/gageskidmore)

Rep. Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney’s chosen running mate, shares a hardline stance on immigration with the former Massachusetts governor. A Romney-Ryan administration would not be as friendly to immigrants as the current occupant of the White House.

On his Congressional website, the Republican vice presidential candidate promises to continue advocating for “common sense reforms to our broken [immigration] system.” His notion of reform focuses on strict border control and law enforcement, even though our borders are more secure than ever, immigration from Mexico has slowed down, and the Obama administration has deported a record number of unauthorized immigrants. He hedges on the DREAM Act, stating that he “understands the points DREAM ACT supporters have raised,” but the stark fact is that he voted against it in 2010.

OnTheIssues.org, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization which provides information on candidates, gives a good indication where Ryan stands on immigration. In 2006, he voted in favor or building a fence along the Mexican border and on preventing tipping off Mexicans about the Minuteman Project.

We will certainly learn more in the coming days where the Wisconsin congressman stands on immigration and other issues that matter to voters. But make no mistake: Romney picked Ryan because of pressure from conservatives. The GOP ticket now solidly sits on the far right on nearly all issues. In short, Romney and Ryan in the White House would be bad news not only for immigrants, but for seniors, women, LGBTs, and middle class Americans as well.

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AboutErwin de Leon
Erwin de Leon is a Policy Researcher and writer based in Washington, DC. He writes on immigration, LGBT, and nonprofit issues. You can follow him on Twitter at @ErwindeLeon.