Posted on 07/30/2015 10:24:36 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Is that a change from a hard-line immigration position, or an endorsement of it? The deport-then-immigrate position has long been the hard-line position on immigration on the Right, although it does have one twist that’s outside the orthodoxy. Donald Trump explained this to CNN’s Dana Bash in an exclusive interview last night, along with his thoughts on health care, which are decidedly less hard-line:
Trump said Wednesday in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that as president he would deport all undocumented immigrants and then allow the “good ones” to reenter the country through an “expedited process” and live in the U.S. legally, though not as citizens.
“Legal status,” Trump suggested. “We got to move ‘em out, we’re going to move ‘em back in if they’re really good people.”
For a blustering candidate whose rhetoric has snatched headlines and galvanized a sizable segment of the Republican base, Trump’s comments Wednesday represent his most detailed explanation into what he would do with the estimated 11-plus million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
He had previously suggested that he favors a “merit-based system,” but did not delve into his support of granting legal status, but not citizenship to undocumented immigrants he calls “the good ones.”
But Trump is still a long ways from presenting a specific immigration policy platform and his explanation in Wednesday’s interview shows a candidate who — despite leading in the polls a week ahead of the first primary debate — is still largely dealing in broad strokes.
John King, Ron Fournier, and Julie Pace discuss this as a departure from a more hard-line approach, focusing on the proposal to expedite the return of those who haven’t committed any other crimes. Putting them at the front of the line might put off some hard-line immigration policy proponents who have argued for years that those emigrating legally should get priority:
Trump’s position will still find favor with most of those who have flocked to his banner on this issue, but it presents two all-but-impossible scenarios. First, deporting 11 million people might be theoretically possible but is completely impractical. It would take an enormous amount of resources for years just to identify those who needed to be deported, let alone the necessary police and court actions to accomplish the deportation, unless Trump and the GOP plan to re-use Mitt Romney’s “self-deportation” argument from 2012, which went over oh so well. At the end of that, then the immigration system would have to focus exclusively on those who got deported rather than those who have waited patiently for the US to get its act together — unless the GOP plans to dump hundreds of billions of dollars more into DHS over the next few years over and above what they will need to spend on securing the border and the deportations themselves.
In other words, this is a budget buster, and will need new revenues — taxes — to fund. A lot more revenue. But Trump hasn’t really shifted his position on immigration, at least not in this interview, so much as he’s fleshed it out a bit more.
Trump also clarifies his position on health care. Not long ago, while in the Democratic Party, Trump endorsed single-payer health care as the best reform, at one time pointing to the Canadian system as a model. He now disavows that position, but talks about the need to expand government provided health care, potentially in the form of subsidies to providers to care for the poor. That’s basically a Medicaid expansion, which isn’t going to find favor with conservatives angry at other candidates like John Kasich for adopting that very approach.
LOL. Check out the STUNNED and (for a change) SILENT Mika (she’s the anorexic and anemic bleached blond next to Joe the RINO).
By jove, if Donald can avoid an assassin’s bullet, the hemlock laced beverage, “mysterious” plane crash, etc., we may just have a world changing LANDSLIDE in the making.
Just pray Donald keeps his cool when the other contenders try to get in his face in Cleveland.
Suggest you double that popcorn order for the debate!
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But that isn't what Trump is saying. He has said multiple times, if they are "outstanding," i.e., actually productive, then they will be considered based on their merit to have permission to work here. Keep in mind that they are back inside their country going through a legal process-- not here in the U.S. Nor is Trump talking about giving them citizenship-- just the right to work here IF they are needed and wanted.
I don't see what the problem is with this.
In Trump’s world everyone and everything is either awful and terrible or wonderful and outstanding.
He’s basically said he’d kick out for good the violent criminal types. I’m all for that.
But the hard-working he’d put to the front of the line for legalization, as long as they go home to visit their family first. That’s about 30 million low-skill, Leftist-voting, taxpayer-costing illegal immigrants getting amnesty.
No, thank you!
I think you're making it sound way faster than it would be. I think a question that needs to be asked of Trump is: What is "outstanding"? If outstanding equals "not a welfare leech," "never committed any other crimes, such as ID fraud," "someone that provides services America needs," I don't have a problem with it. I also like what Trump said about increasing immigration from 1st world countries or people who have attended our universities. That alone, I think, is something no other candidate is talking about either.
“That is blanket amnesty for all but the worst criminals. Most of those who came here to work have committed many, many ID theft and other such felonies on top of being here illegally.”
Sounds like he is just like Obama our “deporter in chief”. Looks
like you rally can’t trust anyone can you!
Say they would allow it, how would you accomplish it? There are 230 judges hearing deportation cases in this country. If we allow one hour per hearing and allowing for a normal working day, holidays, and vacations then each judge would hear about 1900 cases per year, 437,000 total. It would take you between 25 and 75 years to deport the 11 million to 30 million illegals that are already here.
Everyone talks about building walls and deporting those who are here. But none of the candidates, certainly not Trump, have thought through the mechanics. They're all blowing smoke, spouting off for the media, and at the end of the day don't really know what to do about the problem.
I will place my vote for that person.
Yeah, and just how are you going to prove that they never committed ID fraud? Sounds like you also agree with Trump on those “jobs that Americans don’t want to do.”
Every Democrat and GOPe pol out there is in favor of increasing immigration of the educated.
Yes, at the point of a gun.
Please let me know who is to the right of this guy so I can vote for him instead.
I have never heard a single one ever reference it. If that is true, why is it so hard to immigrate from Europe to the United States?
Because of Teddy Kennedy.
A fine suggestion! Thank you!
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