( CNN ) -- Texas Gov . Rick Perry found himself standing apart from his GOP rivals on a pair of immigration issues during a CNN/Tea Party Debate in Tampa , Florida , Monday night . Sounding more like a previous Texas governor who brought `` compassionate conservatism '' to the White House , Perry staunchly defended legislation he signed that aids the children of illegal immigrants even as the audience at the debate roundly disagreed . The Texas governor was asked about a measure he approved in 2001 that grants in-state tuition rates and financial aid to the children of illegal immigrants . `` The bottom line is it does n't make any difference what the sound of your last name is . That is the American way , '' Perry said . `` I 'm proud that we are having those individuals be contributing members of our society rather than telling them , you go be on the government dole . '' Several people in the audience of tea party activists booed Perry 's support of that policy , which is anathema to hard-line conservatives . They argue it provides an incentive for immigrants to enter the country illegally . Perry said he did not favor amnesty for illegal immigrants . `` The American way is not to give taxpayer subsidized benefits to people who have broken our laws or who are here in the United States illegally , '' said Rep. Michele Bachmann , who used the opportunity to tout her conservative credentials . Perry has overshadowed her campaign since entering the race last month . Perry also made waves when he said the key to securing the border would be to deploy enough `` boots on the ground , '' which he contended the federal government had failed to do . Several of his opponents disagreed , arguing that the correct approach to tamp down illegal immigration would be to build a border fence between the United States and Mexico . Perry has called the notion -- especially in rural areas -- `` preposterous '' and , at the debate , asserted his authority as the candidate with the most experience dealing with border security and immigration issues . On both issues , the governor is out-of-step with much of the conservative wing of the Republican party . How much it may hurt him during the primary process is unclear . As the governor of a state with a large Hispanic population , Perry 's `` reasonably moderate '' approach to immigration policy is simple pragmatism , said James Henson , director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin . `` I do n't think anyone 's going to walk around and say Rick Perry 's pro-immigrant , but he 's been a moderate on the issue for strategic reasons , '' Henson said . `` He 's had to manage a different political environment than many of his opponents . '' Latinos make up almost 40 percent of the population in Texas , and Perry carried 38 percent of their vote in his gubernatorial contest against Democrat Bill White in 2010 . In addition , business owners in the state benefit from a large immigrant labor force and cross-border commerce with Mexico , Henson said . The in-state tuition measure was not the governor 's only gesture toward Latinos . Last year , Perry opposed Arizona 's tough immigration law , SB 1070 , which orders immigrants to carry registration documents at all times and requires police to question individuals who they suspect may be in the United States illegally . But he also moved to appeal to conservatives on the contentious issue . Earlier this year , the governor supported a bill to ban `` sanctuary cities '' in the state . The legislation would have punished cities that shielded criminal suspects from having to answer questions about their immigration status . Though it initially received enthusiastic Republican support , the bill did not pass . As the GOP presidential primary race continues , some candidates may choose to focus their attacks on Perry 's perceived softness on illegal immigration . Henson believes Perry is conservative enough on other key issues to weather attacks from his rivals on immigration . `` It 's one of the areas where he does n't fit into the conservative mold , '' Henson said . `` [ But ] I 'd be surprised if the dynamic of this race turned around immigration . ''
Immigration issues separate Sen . Rick Perry from his rivals . He supports in - state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants . His stance drew boos from the conservative Democratic party debate ##rs . Latinos make up almost 40 percent of the population in Texas .