Marco Rubio on immigration: Legalization first, then border security
The Florida Senator is coming under attack by his own GOP members after defending “legalization first” and then addressing border security.
In a Spanish-language interview with Univision, Rubio made his strongest statement yet that legalization of the nation’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants must happen before any new border security or internal enforcement measures are in place, and will in no way be conditional on any security requirements.
Caricature by donkeyhotey, donkeyhotey.wordpress.com
“Let’s be clear,” Rubio said. “Nobody is talking about preventing the legalization. The legalization is going to happen. That means the following will happen: First comes the legalization. Then come the measures to secure the border. And then comes the process of permanent residence.”
Many supporters may point to the failures of the past, especially ignoring the border security, to contradict Rubio’s plan.
Translated transcript:
Salina to Rubio: You said this week that you would be inclined to vote against the legislation that you yourself helped to write unless there were some amendments that would strengthen even more the security of the border. Would you be willing to throw everything overboard?
Rubio: No, I am 100 percent committed to the issue of migration, immigration reform. To the contrary, I am going to continue working to ensure that that does not happen. My point is that if we can’t secure the border, if we can’t take the steps necessary to win the confidence of our colleagues, this is never going to become law, and we are wasting our time. But I don’t think we’re going to reach that point. I simply think that if we achieve a reasonable means … to secure the border and prevent any kind of other wave of illegal immigration in the future, we will have more than enough votes.
Rubio, responding to the concern that legalization might be delayed and therefore be subjected to the policies of future administrations: Let’s be clear. Nobody is talking about preventing the legalization. The legalization is going to happen. That means the following will happen: First comes the legalization. Then come the measures to secure the border. And then comes the process of permanent residence. What we’re talking about here is the system of permanent residence. As for the legalization, the enormous majority of my colleagues have accepted that it has to happen and that it has to begin at the same time we begin the measures for [the border]. It is not conditional. The legalization is not conditional.
(Emphasis added, BBJ The Dispatch)
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[…] Marco Rubio on immigration: Legalization first, then border securityThe Global DispatchThe Florida Senator is coming under attack by his own GOP members after defending “legalization first” and then addressing border security. In a Spanish-language interview with Univision, Rubio made his strongest statement yet that legalization of the … […]