Romney Issues Statement on Court's Immigration Decision Mitt Romney issued a brief statement of support for aggressive efforts by states to fight illegal immigration just hours after the Supreme Court struck down several parts of Arizona's controversial immigration law. "I believe that each state has the duty-and the right-to secure our borders and preserve the rule of law, particularly when the federal government has failed to meet its responsibilities," Mr. Romney said in the short, written statement. The presumptive Republican nominee avoided any mention of the Arizona law during an appearance before Latino public officials in Florida last week. On Monday, he continued to steer clear of commenting on the details of the court's decision. In his statement, Mr. Romney said that the ruling "underscores the need for a President who will lead on this critical issue and work in a bipartisan fashion to pursue a national immigration strategy. President Obama has failed to provide any leadership on immigration. This represents yet another broken promise by this President. But he did not say whether he thought the court had erred in invalidating part of the state's law. Nor did he express specific support for the Arizona provisions that the court upheld. Hours after the Supreme Court ruling, Mr. Romney was flying to Arizona to appear at a fund-raising luncheon at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. He was not scheduled to make any public appearances during his brief visit to Arizona on Monday. The timing of his visit to Arizona was coincidental, an aide said, with the court's ruling on immigration. But the politics are tricky for him. More specific expressions of support for the law's controversial provisions are likley to undermine his efforts to increase support among Latinos. But if Mr. Romney distances himself from the Arizona law, he runs the risk of alienating conservative Tea Party supporters who back aggressive enforcement. During the Republican primary, Mr. Romney said he would have withdrawn the federal government's lawsuits against the Arizona law, an indication of broad support for the controversial provisions that angered Hispanics. Now that the court has overturned several of those provisions, Mr. Romney may be under pressure to explain why he would have disagreed with the court and let them stand. And in the days ahead, he will likely be pressed on whether he agrees with the court's decision to uphold a key provision that requires police to check the immigration status of anyone who they reasonably suspect is in the country illegally. As he courts Hispanic voters ahead of the election in November, Mr. Romney's campaign is eager to portray the president has having failed on the issue of immigration. "As candidate Obama, he promised to present an immigration plan during his first year in office," Mr. Romney said in his statement. But 4 years later, we are still waiting. In making that case, Mr. Romney is getting help from the Republican National Committee, which issued a statement echoing Mr. Romney's campaign. "In the absence of presidential leadership, states have acted on their own to serve their people and enforce the law, but the issue cannot fully be resolved with a president unwilling to keep his promises," said Reince Priebus, the chairman of the R.N.C. "This decision makes that job even more difficult." But Mr. Romney starts with an electoral deficit - most polls show Mr. Obama well ahead among Latino voters, especially in critical swing states like Virginia, Colorado, Nevada and Florida.