WASHINGTON — Bettina Inclan, the Republican National Committee Director Of Hispanic Outreach, declined to comment to reporters on President Barack Obama's new immigration policies, ending deportations for certain young illegal immigrants.
Inclan, who had just finished speaking to the Faith & Freedom Coalition, repeatedly stated that she was not a spokesperson for the RNC, referring comment to RNC specialty media press secretary Alexandra Franceschi. She refused to say how she was able to speak at the event, but not speak to reporters.
Inclan and her fellow panelists did not mention Obama's new policy in their remarks to the conservative group, as the Republican establishment tries to avoid the potentially radioactive issue. Republicans are counting on winning over a segment of the hispanic population in the fall, but are wary that vocally supporting hard-line immigration policies will run counter to their efforts.
Mitt Romney backed Marco Rubio's immigration reform solution today, threading the needle by saying Obama's unilateral actions made reaching a long-term solution more difficult.
Inclan found herself in hot water earlier this year when she told reporters that Romney's immigration policy was less than solid.
"As a candidate, to my understanding, he is still deciding what his position on immigration is," she said in early May, playing into conservative concerns that Romney would run to the middle to win over independents, though she quickly walked it back on Twitter.
UPDATE: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus issued the following statement on the Obama administration's immigration announcement:
After three and a half years of not following through on his promises on immigration, President Obama went around Congress to take a purely political action. The president may think this helps his electoral chances but it complicates the potential for a long term solution.