Last night, Mitt Romney once again showed his true colors on immigration. One particularly noticeable example is Romney’s use of the slur “illegals” during his riff on self-deportation:
Now, let me mention one other thing, and that is self-deportation says let people make their own choice. What I was saying is, we’re not going to round up 12 million people, undocumented illegals, and take them out of the nation. Instead let people make their own choice. And if they — if they find that — that they can’t get the benefits here that they want and they can’t — and they can’t find the job they want, then they’ll make a decision to go a place where — where they have better opportunities.
That’s right out of the extremist anti-immigrant playbook, meant to dehumanize the undocumented. It wasn’t a mistake. Romney used that same language while referring to DREAMers during his Univision interview with Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas.
Our Executive Director, Frank Sharry, tweeted that he’s never heard a nominee use that term — and it makes Romney the most anti-immigrant candidate in recent history:
Except Mitt, never heard a nom use the slur “illegals.” Not Reagan, Bush, or McCain. No Dem. Most anti-immigrant candidate ever #debates
— Frank Sharry (@FrankSharry) October 17, 2012
It’s what one would expect from a candidate whose immigration advisor is Kris Kobach.
The use of that term was picked up by a lot of others. Here’s some of the twitter reaction:
Here’s the difference between @mittromney and @barackobama: Romney – “illegals” || Obama – “undocumented” BAM. #debates #immigration
— KaeLyn Rich (@KaeLynRich) October 17, 2012
RT @karoli: “Illegals”. That will play well with Hispanics. #metoomitt
— americasvoice (@americasvoice) October 17, 2012
UNDOCUMENTED, NOT ILLEGAL #immigration #languagematters #CNNDebate #Debate2012 #debates #CIR #RI4A
— Maria J (@HumbleGenius1) October 17, 2012
Nothing wins the Latino vote like calling their brothers and sisters and cousins and parents “illegals”
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) October 17, 2012
@nbclatino On style and substance, Obama. Crowley even had to correct Romney. On #immigration? Obama 100%. Romney even said “illegals”!
— Elisa Batista (@ElisaBatista) October 17, 2012
RT @xtinatini: “ILLEGALS” – Romney. Oof.
— americasvoice (@americasvoice) October 17, 2012
@mittromney + “self-deportation” x “illegals” = losing the growing Latino, Asian immigrant vote
— Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting) October 17, 2012
RT @breakthrough: Wrong answer, Romney. People are not illegal, they are human. #ImHereIVote #immigration #debates #election2012
— americasvoice (@americasvoice) October 17, 2012
Undocumented youth not happy with Romney’s comments on immigration: “Calling us ‘illegals’ will not get you far in November”
— jennifer bendery (@jbendery) October 17, 2012
Romney said “undocumented illegals” in his immigration answer last night, perhaps making every immigration interest group cringe at once?
— Liz Goodwin (@lizcgoodwin) October 17, 2012
Latinos didn’t like this one. My story: Romney uses “undocumented illegals” term during answer on immigration: nbclatino.com/2012/10/17/rom… #latism
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@RealAdrianC) October 17, 2012
It’s a standard part of Romney’s immigration riff:
Romney flashback on #immigration: “I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake, I can’t have illegals” ow.ly/exbr4 #debates
— carlosodio (@carlosodio) October 17, 2012
