Mitt Romney said that his Republican bona fides extended to the ongoing debate over immigration, citing his opposition to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program rescinded by President Donald Trump last year. | AP Photo Romney: I'm 'more of a hawk on immigration' than Trump

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who has launched a bid to represent Utah in the U.S. Senate, said he's "more of a hawk on immigration" than President Donald Trump, citing his opposition to an Obama-era initiative that offered protections for young undocumented immigrants.

Romney, who ran for the presidency in 2012 but was defeated by former President Barack Obama, touted his conservative credentials during an event on Monday in Provo, Utah, according to local media.


The former GOP nominee also described himself as a "deficit hawk," a stance he said makes him "more conservative than a lot of Republicans and a lot of Democrats."

Romney added that his Republican bona fides extended to the ongoing debate over immigration, pointing to the fact that on the 2012 campaign trail he opposed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program rescinded by Trump last year.

"I’m also more of a hawk on immigration than even the president," Romney said, according to The Daily Herald.

A campaign spokesman for Romney said Tuesday the candidate's views have since evolved and that he "believes the commitment made by President Obama should be honored" and DACA recipients ought to be allowed to legally stay in the country. The spokesman added that Romney drew the line on providing a separate pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, a measure Trump voiced support for earlier this year.

Trump announced in September he was ending the Obama-era immigration initiative that provided work permits and some protection from deportation to people in the U.S. who entered illegally as children.

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Trump has suggested he would support a legislative remedy on the issue, but the White House has opposed several congressional proposals that would have extended protections to DACA recipients.

Romney on Monday went said he has come to agree with Trump on DACA, but that he stands opposed to extended a path to perm

The president has insisted that any deal on DACA must also include funding for his controversial wall along the southern U.S. border, a proposal that has drawn heavy criticism from Democratic officials and immigration advocacy groups.

Romney, who was widely expected to run to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), officially announced his bid last month.

"I am ready to fight for this great state and advocate for solutions that improve the lives of Utahns," he said.