Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio on Sunday criticized President Obama’s immigration plan, the DREAM act, as “a short-term fix for a long-term problem” and said the president’s efforts on immigration have injected election-year politics into the issue.
“This issue is more valuable to them unresolved,” Rubio said, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press.
He described the DREAM act, which would ease the way to legal status for young children of illegal immigrants, as too broad. “It could lead to these kids bringing in multiple relatives,” Rubio said. “We need to be compassionate but we need something that doesn't encourage more illegal immigration.”
The Supreme Court this week will issue a decision on whether to uphold Arizona’s controversial immigration law giving police new powers to demand that people show proof of U.S. citizenship. Rubio, who is often discussed as a possible vice presidential candidate, said he would support a decision upholding the law.
“When it was first introduced it made me very uncomfortable,” he said. But later, “I understood about what Arizona faces compared to Florida. I believe Arizona has a right to pass that bill. I understand why they did but it I don’t think it’s a national model.”
He declined to answer questions about his status as a vice presidential candidate, saying only that “I am confident that Mitt Romney is going to make a great decision for Vice President.”
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