Romney Doesn't Know Immigration Laws

Question #7 in the October 16, 2012 debate was about the current people living here without a green card. Mitt Romney said – we welcome legal immigrants into this country, I want the process to be streamlined and clearer, I think we should give green cards to people who graduate with skills that we need – get a green card stapled to their diploma; we need to stop illegal immigration – there are 4 million people waiting to get here legally; he won’t grant amnesty but will put in place an employment verification system that will sanction employers who hire those coming illegally; I would not create magnets such as giving a driver licenses to those coming here illegally as the President would; I think the kids of those coming here illegally should have a pathway to becoming a permanent resident of the US and military service would be one of those pathways; he went on to say the President said in his first year he would put forth an immigration bill and he didn’t do it.

Reagan created an employment verification system with the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) enacted November 6, 1986. In brief it required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status, made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit unauthorized immigrants and granted amnesty to 3 million people. Immigration itself is a federal issue but in August 2012 Jacob Vigdor, a professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy said "The Constitution says nothing about driver's licenses, back in the 1780s it wasn't an issue. So it's completely at the discretion of states." In 1993 California stopped issuing driver license to illegal immigrants and all but 2 states followed. There were annual changes to immigration law through 2001 and then Congress hasn’t agreed on this issue. The US Supreme Court on June 16, 2008 ruled (5–4) "that someone who is here illegally may withdraw his voluntarily agreement to depart and continue to try to get approval to remain in the United States." The lawsuit is about 2 seemingly contradictory provisions of immigration law. One prevents deportation by voluntary departure from the country; the other section allows immigrants who are here illegally but whose circumstances changed, to remain in the US and build their case to immigration officials. On December 8, 2010 the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) passed the House but on December 17 it failed in the Senate with a 55-41 vote (needed 60). The President signed an Executive Order that was implemented August 14, 2012 that allows non criminals under the age of 31 pathways to becoming permanent residents and this has now caused states to rethink their positions (California was the first to revise their ban and Arizona was the first to say they won’t issues driver license to illegal immigrants). My questions - Does this guy really not know the law and is he for or against Reagan and/or Bush policy?