A former president of the University of Arizona pleaded with Mitt Romney on Friday to support some version of the Dream Act to give "a glimmer of hope" to college students who are not in the United States legally.
"They're bright. They can help carry this country forward," Manuel Pacheco told the Republican presidential candidate during a round-table discussion with Latino business leaders in Tempe. "I think it would be a shame to lose that particular talent that they bring."
Romney listened politely, nodding, as Pacheco pushed him to effectively change his strong opposition to the Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented college students. Romney, who took a hard line on immigration issues in the Republican primary, has said he would veto the Dream Act if it were passed while he was president.
When Pacheco finished speaking, Romney smiled and said: "Thank you! Appreciate that! Thank you." He then turned to the next participant and did not discuss the matter further.
Eight people took part in the discussion at the Arizona Historical Society Museum. Most of the talk hinged on ways to improve the business climate, and Romney participated more enthusiastically in those discussions, asking detailed questions of most speakers.
At times he appeared to revert to his role as chief executive of Bain Capital, the Boston-based financial services firm, as when he demanded of a business owner complaining about his taxes, "Are you an LLC or a Sub-S?" (He was referring to different legal categories of companies.) READ MORE
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