Newt Gingrich Toughens Stance on Immigration at Last Night's GOP Debate

At a GOP debate last night Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich toughened up his stance on immigration reform. "I would propose cutting off all federal aid to any sanctuary city that deliberately violated federal law," Gingrich said at the debate in Iowa. Gingrich also went on to say the federal government should drop lawsuits against states with anti-immigrant laws like Arizona and Alabama. "Newt Gingrich is, for better or worse, a fascinating candidate to watch as he tests the waters to see how many moderates he can win on immigration without alienating the far right that's got such a hold on the Republican party," Colorlines.com's Julianne Hing said about Gingrich's comments last night. "A few weeks ago he made headlines for his bold and humane comments about longtime undocumented immigrants' right to stay in the country, and since then has made sure to show his anti-immigrant bona fides with tough enforcement talk," Hing went on to say. In a November 23rd GOP debate, Gingrich said "I'm prepared to take the heat for saying, let's be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so that they are not separated from their families." "He's a shapeshifter in that regard, and that's what we're seeing right now," Hing said. For more detailed analysis on Gingrich's immigration reform plans read Hing's story titled "Gingrich Sees Immigrants as Humans (But Not Citizens); Risks Backlash."

URL: