A top Mitt Romney adviser blasted President Barack Obama's immigration policy on Sunday, charging that the administration has "played with Hispanics" on the issue.
In an interview on CNN's "State Of The Union," former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez told viewers that there was a "pattern" in terms of what Democrats are projecting to the Latino population.
"Before an election, let's promise something to Hispanics," Gutierrez said. "That bill was -- had things in there that couldn't get bipartisan support, and Republicans said don't ram that bill now. We are in the middle of an election. You did it anyway knowing that it wouldn't pass, but it didn't matter, you made the promise, you got the Hispanic vote, and that has been the pattern."
Back on June 15, Obama announced that some undocumented youths will be granted work authorizations and escape deportation, on the condition that they meet criteria such as attending college or joining the military. A week later, Obama told listeners at the National Association for Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) conference that it was the "right thing to do."
One day earlier, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney addressed the same issue. The former Massachusetts governor mistakenly referred to Obama's policy as an executive order instead of a directive to immigration-related agencies, before adding that he would axe the president's initiative.
"The answer is that I will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure," Romney said.
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