Romney vows civil solution on immigration

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Backing off the harsh rhetoric of the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney pledged yesterday to address illegal immigration "in a civil but resolute manner."

He outlined plans to overhaul the green card system for immigrants with families, and end immigration caps for their spouses and minor children.

In a speech before Hispanic leaders, Romney made only passing mention of his promise to complete a 2,000-mile border fence to help stem illegal immigration. Instead he attacked President Barack Obama's new plan to ease deportation rules for some illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children as little more than a "stop-gap measure."

"As president, I won't settle for a stop-gap measure. I will work with Republicans and Democrats to find a long-term solution," Romney told the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. "I will prioritize measures that strengthen legal immigration and make it easier. And I will address the problem of illegal immigration in a civil but resolute manner. We may not always agree, but when I make a promise to you, I will keep it."

Obama speaks to the same group today. The speeches come as the Supreme Court prepares to render judgment on a get-tough Arizona law and after Obama announced his new deportation plan.

Romney again refused to say whether he would reverse Obama's policy, promising his "own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure."

The former Massachusetts governor has struggled in recent days to clarify his immigration policy as he pivots from the sharp tone that defined the GOP primary to a general election audience in which Latinos will play a critical role. During the primaries, Romney and his Republican opponents focused on border security and English as the official language, but he didn't spell out precisely what he would do to address the nation's immigration problem.

Yesterday, as he filled in a few blanks, Romney devoted only one sentence in a 17-minute speech to the border fence and ignored language issues altogether. He did note, however, his father's birth to American parents living in a Mormon colony in Mexico.

"When he was 5, they left everything behind, and started over in the United States," Romney said. "I've spoken often about how proud I am of my father."