Speaking to reporters in Dallas on Tuesday, former President George W. Bush called on Washington to come to a solution on immigration reform.
Bush spoke at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas at a forum called "Immigration and 4% Growth: How Immigrants grow the U.S. Economy," during which he asked President Obama and Congressional leaders to reform the immigration system in a way that would "keep in mind the contribution of immigrants," according to ABC News Univision.
"Immigrants come with new skills and new ideas," Bush said. "They fill a critical gap in the labor market." Bush also noted that immigrants can "Help build a dynamic tomorrow."
"Not only do immigrants help build our economy, they invigorate our soul," said Bush, adding that "those whom I've met love their families" and "see education as a bright future for their children. Some willingly defend the flag."
During the latter half of Bush's second term in the White House, the Texas-based President tried to push for the passage of a bill that would have opened a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, established a guest worker program and created tougher safeguards against employers hiring undocumented immigrants. The then-Republican-controlled Senate rejected the bill.
However, several Republicans have come forward since the GOP suffered historically-bad losses among Latinos in the Nov. 6 election, especially in the presidential race won by Democrat President Obama, with a willingness to rethink their hardliner approach on the subject.
It was for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's "self-deportation" stance and endorsement for tighter immigration laws that many political analysts say helped President Obama crush Romney in the polls.
A top advisor for the Romney campaign admitted recently that Romney's immigration stance, in hindsight, was a mistake that cost him the election, the International Business Times reported Tuesday.
Bush won record support from Latinos during his presidential campaigns, garnering about 35 percent of the Latino electorate in 2000 and roughly 40 percent in 2004, thanks in part to his message on family values and an aggressive outreach program to Hispanic voters.
President Bush's brother Jeb, the former governor of Florida, has also come forward advocating for Republicans to rethink their views on immigration.
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