Trump Says Deport 11 million, Stop Legal Immigration, Change Constitution and More
Today Donald Trump’s campaign issued his immigration position paper. He also talked about immigration in an interview with Chuck Todd in which he said that undocumented immigrants “have to go”. Given that he sought and received the advice of Republican hardliner Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), perhaps it’s not surprising that his “plan” is nothing less than a nativist wish-list of ugly proposals. Among the elements: deport 11 million undocumented immigrants, triple the number of ICE agents, impose a moratorium on legal immigration and change the definition of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to end birthright citizenship.
The following is a statement in response by Frank Sharry, the Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Trump’s immigration proposals are as dangerous as they are stunning. Trump proposes to round up 11 million hardworking immigrants, a population the size of the state of Ohio. He promises to rescind protections for Dreamers and deport them. He wants to redefine the Constitutional definition of U.S. citizenship as codified by the 14th Amendment. He plans to impose a moratorium on legal immigration. And that’s only the half of it. In sum, Trump comes down firmly on the far right fringes of the debate.
Taken together, these policies would leave a moral stain on the fabric of this nation of immigrants, trample the U.S. Constitution and its due process protections, rip apart millions of American families, and deal a death blow to our economy.
Fortunately, these dangerous ideas are neither workable nor popular. The American people, including Republican voters, support a pragmatic approach to immigration reform. The majority of Americans,including the majority of Republicans, support a path to citizenship or legal status. By a 4-1 margin, the American people want comprehensive immigration reform that combines the interlocking elements of smart enforcement, legal immigration reforms and a path to legal status and citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants, an approach that would transform a chaotic status quo into a safe, legal and orderly immigration system.
Donald Trump can bloviate about mass deportation, promise to build a 14th century wall, and pander to the nativist dead enders within the GOP, but the American people are way ahead of him. They don’t want a police state with deportation trains, weeping families and a hollowed out economy. They want a 21st century immigration system that enables America to be both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.”
