Romney, Gingrich face off in debate

The former Massachusetts governor and the former House speaker clashed with each other on the issue of illegal immigration immediately after the debate, which also pitted Texas congressman Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, kicked off on the campus of the University of North Florida.

Commenting on Romney's recent remarks that illegal immigrants could be pressured into practicing "self-deportation," Gingrich said he thinks the idea is unworkable when it comes to older illegal immigrants who have been here for a long time.

Romney touted the idea of "self-deportation" in Monday night's debate, arguing that illegal immigration can be curbed by denying public benefits to them.

The former governor also called Gingrich's allegations that he is anti-immigrant "inexcusable."

"The idea that I'm anti-immigrant is repulsive," he said. "It's simply the kind of over-the-top rhetoric that's characterized American politics too long."

Illegal immigration is a hot issue in Florida, where people of Hispanic origin make up 22.5 percent of the state's population, compared with 16.3 percent of the U.S. population, according to census data from 2010.

The voting bloc is critical for a candidate not only in the primaries but also in general elections.

During the debate, Romney and Gingrich also attacked each other over their respective connections to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two mortgage giants blamed to be responsible for the collapse of the housing market; Kazinform cites China Daily.

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