WASHINGTON – Immigration reform would be possible if Republican Mitt Romney wins the presidency, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Efe in an interview.

“I believe that if Romney is elected president with a Republican Congress, immigration reform can be passed,” Giuliani, who was mayor of New York between 1994-2001, said during a telephone interview from Florida, where he is campaigning for Romney.

“He will be sensible and humane with the undocumented who are living here and who comply with the laws and are working,” said Giuliani, recalling the “compassionate conservatism” of ex-President George W. Bush.

The key to moving forward with reform is “stopping illegal immigration” plus the “sensible” solution that a president like Romney would promote, Giuliani said.

During the primaries, however, Romney stuck to an iron-fisted policy against the undocumented and rejected any form of legalizing their immigration status, though he has softened his position since effectively securing the GOP nomination.

Both Obama and Romney are actively courting the Hispanic vote, which this year looks to be decisive in key states like Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Nevada.

An estimated 12.2 million Latinos will go to the polls this year and winning the presidency will require at least 40 percent of the Hispanic vote.

Obama garnered more than 60 percent of the Latino vote in 2008 and leads Romney among Hispanics by 67 percent to 23 percent, according to results of a NBC-Wall Street Journal-Telemundo poll released this week. EFE