Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is no great fan of the Arizona immigration law, part of which the Supreme Court upheld and part of which it overruled on Monday.
“I think Arizona-type laws are not ideal,” the possible vice presidential candidate told “Fox & Friends” Monday before the court decision was announced,
Politico reports. “I don’t think they’re the ideal way to handle this issue. I’ve never believed in state immigration policies.”
Still, Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, believes the law is constitutional. And he faults the federal government for failing to implement immigration reform.
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“I don’t think the law is a model for the country. I think the model for the country is for the federal government to do its job,” Rubio said. “What I’ve reminded people is that if the federal government was enforcing our immigration laws and had a workable legal immigration system, you wouldn’t need Arizona-type laws.”
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s stance on immigration is just fine, Rubio said. “I think he’s been very forward leaning, and I really am very happy with the way Mitt Romney has been expressing himself on this issue. I think he’s been the most compelling voice in favor of legal immigration that we’ve seen in quite some time.”
That splits Rubio from some Republican critics of Romney, who are upset that he hasn’t advocated repealing President Barack Obama’s new directive to cease deporting some children of illegal immigrants.
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