Civil Liberties

In September of 2005, Governor Romney raised the prospect of wiretapping mosques and conducting surveillance of foreign students in Massachusetts, as he issued a broad call for the federal government to devote far more money and attention to domestic intelligence gathering.  In response to critics, Romney spokeswoman Julie Teer said that the governor has a ''realistic view" of what it takes to fight terrorism and that “the governor believes we can strike a balance between what is necessary to protect our homeland while respecting individual freedom and liberty."

In response to a question about bias against Arab Americans at the Republican presidential debate in Dearborn, Michigan, Romney stated that, “We remind people that this is a nation that recognizes the equality of all individuals. We also want to make sure that our nation is kept safe. And we're going to pursue any avenue we have to, to ensure that people who might be preaching or teaching doctrines of hate or terror are going to be followed, into a church or into a school or a mosque, or wherever they might be.  Romney concluded that America “welcomes people of all backgrounds and faiths. And we don't discriminate against people based on those things. The countries that we're battling around the world, they're the ones that distinguish based on those things, and we don't.”

Wiretap mosques, Romney suggests, Boston Globe, September 15, 2005

Transcript, Republican Presidential Debate, Dearborn, MI

Immigration

Romney believes that immigration has been an important part of America’s history.  On his website, he states that the current system puts up a concrete wall to the best and brightest potential immigrants and allows those without skills or education to walk across the border. “We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system, and increase legal immigration into America.”

Romney is a proponent of H1B visas for skilled workers. “I like the idea of the best and brightest in the world coming here. I’d rather have them come here permanently rather than come and go, but I believe our visa program is designed to help us solve gaps in our employment pool,” said Romney in an interview with Techcrunch, an online magazine.  “Ultimately we’re in a competitive battle with the rest of the world; a battle where we need to stay the most powerful nation in the world. And the only way our nation stays ahead forever is with superior technology and innovation. And if we need additional folks who have skills that can contribute to our country then by all means lets welcome them in and if we see that our kids are not competing in certain areas lets help our kids understand what they need to become competitive.”

Mitt Romney 08 campaign website

Interview With Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney On Technology Issues, TechCrunch, November, 1, 2007

Iran

Romney believes that the Iranian regime and the al Qaeda network pose the most significant challenges to American foreign policy today. “We need an honest debate about what policies and what sacrifices will ensure a strong America and a safe world,” he says. 

In an interview with National Journal, Romney spoke of the need to pursue tougher economic and diplomatic sanctions against Iran, while maintaining our military options.  He dismissed the notion of meeting and directly negotiating with the Iranian President.  “The idea that you'd meet with [Fidel] Castro and Ahmadinejad and [Hugo] Chavez is a very bad idea, indeed. Of course we talk to other nations, and of course we have diplomatic discussions to see if we can't remove tensions and build some common…. And that's something which goes on at the diplomatic level….But the president of the United States is not going to dignify them with a personal trip or a meeting or a summit or something of that nature…. But in the cases of some of these individuals who are unsavory in their own way, if they give up their manner and they move in a direction that's more in favor of stability and diplomatic language, why, then of course those options ultimately become open.”

Essay, “Rising to a New Generation of Global Challenges”,  Foreign Affairs, July/August 2007

Transcript: Romney On Iran, Bush's Leadership & More, National Journal, September 28, 2007

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