Governor Mitt Romney today announced that Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter has endorsed his candidacy for President of the United States. Sheriff Hunter joins a strong and growing team in Southwest Florida led by U.S. Congressman Connie Mack (R-FL), a Chair of Governor Romney's Florida Statewide Steering Committee.

"I have had an opportunity to look at the records of other candidates, and it is clear that Governor Romney is the candidate with the most impressive record of accomplishment in the public and private sectors and the strongest record of enforcing our immigration laws," said Sheriff Hunter. "As Governor of Massachusetts, he worked with the federal government to allow Massachusetts state troopers to enforce federal immigration laws, vetoed in-state tuition at public colleges and universities for illegal immigrants, promoted English immersion in the education system and opposed driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. I am proud to endorse Governor Romney for President of the United States and know his conservative leadership will steer our country in the right direction."

On Tuesday, Hunter met with Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson to talk about the latter's immigration enforcement plan. The fact of the meeting with Hunter was used by Thompson to roll out the plan. But the sheriff evidently was not impressed.