Romney makes pitch for more legal immigrants
http://www.dailynewstrans…&format=&page=1
[Analysis]
Most people cringe when they hear about immigration. But, normally it’s because of the illegal kind. Romney in the following article is speaking about the legal kind. The kind of immigration that makes this country great. He made several good points that I will highlight.
By Cyndi Roy / State House News Service
Wednesday, August 10, 2005BOSTON — While border states like California and Arizona struggle to combat illegal immigration, Massachusetts should encourage more legal foreigners to settle here by providing them with the tools to live successfully, Gov. Mitt Romney said yesterday.
At a press conference to introduce Pierre Imbert as the new director of the state Office of Refugees and Immigrants, Romney said Massachusetts does not have the same problems with illegal immigration that other states face. The challenge for Massachusetts is educating and training legal newcomers so they can contribute to the well being of the state, he said.
“I’d like to see more legal immigrants come to Massachusetts, not less,” Romney said. “In terms of illegal immigration, I think it’s relative to some other states. It’s not a major problem of the same scale in our state. Our focus is instead on encouraging, in every way possible, legal immigration, refugees coming here, and supporting those people to become integrated in our society so that we can learn from them and they can become a vibrant part of our economy and of our society.”
Massachusetts was the only state to lose population last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Had it not been for the influx of foreign-born residents, the state also would have lost residents in the previous four years, according to the MassINC report. The Census Bureau recently projected Massachusetts will remain totally dependent on immigrants for all of its population growth over the remainder of this decade.
Some areas of immigration policy have become a controversial issue for state leaders as of late. Lawmakers have criticized Romney for opposing legislation that would allow children of illegal immigrants to attend a state college at lower in-state tuition rates. Romney opposes the bill because he says it rewards immigrants for coming here illegally.
Imbert said a top goal is to make Massachusetts a welcoming place for future immigrants.
“When you look at all the various troubled spots in the world, you can rest assured that Massachusetts is going to be called up on to open its arms to refugees,” he said.
© Copyright 2005 State House News Service
August 12th, 2005 at 3:06 pm
I am all for encouraging LEGAL immigrants to come to Massachusetts, however I would like to see Romney take a tougher line against illegal immigration. I am pleased with the fact that Romney opposes the moronic bill allowing children of illegal immigrants to go to Mass. state schools at the in-state rate. I think that bill is terribly unfair and rewards ILLEGAL activity.