Latinos make up a tiny fraction of the New Hampshire population, but Gingrich and Romney both had words for immigrants over the weekend, as the candidates count down the hours to primary day.

This is not a reversal for Romney, who has always expressed tough love for undocumented immigrants, but it’s a clear statement that Hispanic voters in Iowa will hear in the countdown before Tuesday’s GOP caucus.

Newt Gingrich’s comments on immigration during Tuesday’s CNN debate sparked a maelstrom. He suggested that some immigrant families, including those with members who are in the country without papers, should not be broken up.

The newest GOP presidential candidate has already been criticized by Republican immigration hard-liners for his policies in Texas, where Hispanics make up 38 percent of the population.

Republicans are criticized for the lack of progress on immigration reform in a new poll of Hispanic voters, but dissatisfaction with Democrats is seen as well. 49 percent say they are “certain” to vote for President Obama in 2012.