Mitt Romney Says Obama's Uncle Should Be Deported

Mitt Romney stepped deep into the controversial politics of immigration Wednesday, telling a Boston-area talk radio host that President Obama’s Kenyan-born uncle should be deported.

Asked by Boston radio personality Howie Carr whether the president’s relative, Onyango Obama, should be deported, Romney said, "The answer is 'yes.'" The news was first reported Wednesday by ABC News.

"Well, if the laws of the United States say he should be deported, and I presume they do, then of course we should follow those laws," Romney said. "And the answer is 'yes.'"

Obama's uncle was arrested this fall on drunken driving charges in Massachusetts. He is, reportedly, in the country illegally.

This is the logical extension of Romney's position on immigration, which is that everyone in the country illegally should be sent back to their homes from which they can follow a legal path towards citizenship. But it also gets at what Newt Gingrich has hinted when offering a platform a touch more "humane," in his words. These are actual people, with relatives and connections inside their community. When you start talking about mass deportations, the politics gets incredibly complicated and touchy.

LISTEN to the audio of the radio interview. The relevant portion starts at minute 11.

[Hat Tip: ABC News]

The first paragraph of this article has been updated to better reflect Mitt Romney's statement.