The first night of the Republican National Convention will be brought to a close with a benediction by Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, a prominent evangelical who agrees with Mitt Romney’s social conservatism but believes Romney and the GOP have not done enough to address the immigration issue and the fate of undocumented immigrants in particular.
Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, has advocated for the DREAM Act and believes that Romney’s immigration position could determine whether he will win over enough Hispanic voters to beat President Obama. Romney told a conference of Latino elected officials in June that he would “address the problem of illegal immigration in a civil but resolute manner” without adding any further details.
“He did not address at all what he would do with those who are currently here undocumented,” Rodriguez told TPM at the time. “And I do believe that somewhere down the road … that Gov. Romney is going to have to cross in order to make a significant run for the Hispanic vote.”
Rodriguez, who has advised the Romney campaign, said he has told them that they will have to address the immigration issue.
