Republican presidential contenders gathered in Washington on Tuesday for a debate aired on CNN and co-sponsored by two leading right-wing groups, the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation. Newly resurgent candidate Newt Gingrich surprised some by offering a less extremist stance on immigration policy, saying Republicans should drop measures that break up families.

Newt Gingrich: “If you’ve been here recently and you have no ties to the U.S., we should deport you. I do believe we should control the border. I do believe we should have very severe penalties for employers. But I would urge all of you to look at the Krieble Foundation plan. I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century.”