LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida  - Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to pursue bipartisan immigration reform that strengthens borders and speeds legal entry, as he assured Hispanic voters he was a stronger White House pick than President Barack Obama.But he ducked the issue of what to do with the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States, saying he would "replace and supersede" Obama's softened deportation policy with his own long-term plan but offering no details.Romney, who faces Obama in the November election, was left flat-footed last week when the president made a surprise policy change and suspended deportations of young illegals brought to the United States before the age of 16 and who are currently under 30.Romney used his speech before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) to frame his immigration policy as a family-friendly strategy that provides work permits for college graduates, immediate visas for spouses and children of green-card holders, and encourages legal immigration.He said it also would boost border security by completing a "high-tech fence" and implement an "improved exit verification system" to prevent overstaying."Some people have asked if I will let stand the president's executive action," Romney told the NALEO annual conference inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, a key battleground state."The answer is that I will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure."Romney offered no specifics on dealing with the undocumented, but he pledged to "work with Republicans and Democrats to find a long-term solution."He also said he'd address the problem "in a civil but resolute manner. We may not always agree, but when I make a promise to you, I will keep it."Romney sparked criticism during the Republican primaries when he suggested that one solution was for illegals to stop working and leave the country, a process he dubbed "self-deportation."He clearly softened his tone Thursday as he courted what has become the country's largest minority voting bloc.But Democrats promptly chided Romney, with US Senator Robert Menendez saying Romney's lack of commitment over Obama's new action left the Republican Party in "paralysis and disarray" on a subject close to the hearts of Hispanic voters. "Latinos are looking for leadership on key issues like the economy and immigration reform and Romney has failed to deliver," Menendez said.Romney told the gathering that Obama, who addresses NALEO on Friday, was "taking your vote for granted," even as the recession and its aftermath have hit US Latinos disproportionately hard.Obama "will probably say that, even though you aren't better off today than you were four years ago, things could be worse. He'll imply that you really don't have an alternative," Romney said, citing the 11-percent unemployment rate for Hispanics compared to the 8.2 percent US average."I've come here today with a simple message: you do have an alternative," he added."This November, we'll make a choice. We can continue along the path we're on, or we can choose a better way."Hispanics voted overwhelmingly for Obama in 2008, helping propel him to victory, but Romney insisted Obama has failed them."For two years, this president had huge majorities in the House and Senate - he was free to pursue any policy he pleased," Romney said."But he did nothing to advance a permanent fix for our broken immigration system," opting instead for last week's "stop-gap measure."Senate Democrats introduced the DREAM Act, an Obama-supported proposal that would offer a path to citizenship for young immigrants, in 2010 and 2011, but Republican obstruction killed it.Obama has been clear from the beginning that he wants a "legislative solution" to illegal immigration, the White House said.But "we have a situation here where the nominee of the Republican Party... has said he would veto the DREAM Act," Obama spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.Democratic congressman and NALEO member Luis Gutierrez, a leader in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Romney was stuck in a vise on the immigration issue."Romney can either stand with the anti-immigrant hawks or he can stand with the American people, including the Latino community, but trying to (do) both will fall flat, like today," Gutierrez said.