Former Bush Commerce secretary quits job to run pro-immigration super-PAC

Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez (R), who served under President George W. Bush, is leaving his job at Citigroup to run a super-PAC backing Republicans who support immigration reform.

"The upcoming immigration reform debate will be one of the most important public policy discussions America engages in this century.  Our country must get it right," Gutierrez said in a statement put out by the group. "In this spirit and with this understanding, I've decided to dedicate my full time and energy to Republicans for Immigration Reform and this critical legislative effort."

Gutierrez, who'd chaired Mitt Romney's Hispanic outreach effort, had already been involved with setting up the super-PAC and has been heavily focused on immigration reform since the election.

But his decision to put his focus solely on the effort is the latest sign the group will be a force to be reckoned with. He'll run the group along with Charlie Spies, a veteran of Mitt Romney's campaigns who ran the pro-Romney super-PAC Restore Our Future during the last election cycle.