It seems the longer the GOP race drags on, the more extreme the candidates get.

In fact, at a debate last week Mitt Romney placed himself further to the right on immigration than any presidential candidate in recent history.

He said he would deport all undocumented immigrants — including grandparents and families who have been in the United States for over 25 years, belong to local churches, pay their taxes, and in some cases have even defended our country in the military.

I’m sure it won’t be the first or last time the GOP candidates use immigration and Hispanic families as political props to score points with the far-right base.

That’s why we need to stand up and fight back every time they do. Don’t forget, we’re all in this together — and we prosper when we stand united.

Join us and say you’ll stand up for Hispanic families in this election and fight for sensible immigration reform.

The thing that makes Mitt’s statement even more troubling is that a mere five years ago — when the politics of immigration among GOP voters were quite different from today — he was singing a different tune, saying that the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in our country “are not going to be rounded up and box-carred out.”

In an interview yesterday he was reminded of his old talking points, but rather than attempting to moderate his stance, he actually doubled down on his current position.

So why the change of heart? It’s simple, according to Mitt’s 2008 Iowa State Director, Doug Gross. Gross said that while campaigning in Iowa before the caucuses, Mitt began to realize the so-called “political implications” of his stance and switched his position as a result.

“Political implications” shouldn’t be the determining factor in the lives of 11 million people.

But now Newt Gingrich — on the heels of being accused by the right of being compassionate — came out this week in support of a new South Carolina law, similar to the one passed in Arizona, that allows police to demand the immigration status of anyone they pull over.

And Rick Perry recently trotted out the endorsement of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, self-titled “America’s toughest sheriff,” who’s been known to organize armed, volunteer posses in his county to round up undocumented immigrants to deport.

As the primaries get closer, there’s no way of knowing where the GOP candidates will stop in trying to out-extreme each other when it comes to illegal immigration.

But I can tell you this: We’re going to fight back every time one of them sells out Hispanic families to try to improve their standing in the polls.

Join us today:

http://my.democrats.org/Stand-up-for-Hispanic-Families

Thanks,

Juan

Juan Sepulveda
Senior Advisor for Hispanic Affairs
Democratic National Committee