With Donald Trump way ahead in New Hampshire, it’s no surprise that the GOP field has continued to mimic his hostile, anti-immigrant rhetoric tonight. Every single candidate on stage has made it clear that they oppose any kind of pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
As they continue to criticize President Obama’s deportation protections and oppose a pathway to citizenship, the GOP’s rhetoric has only gotten more inflammatory. Just this week, Ted Cruz suggested that immigrants were responsible for the drug epidemic when he advocated for building a wall along the southern border to deal with the drug addiction crisis.
Here’s a rundown of the GOP field’s Trump-inspired immigration ideas:
- Ted Cruz opposes both legal status and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He might support self-deportation, and he definitely opposes DACA and the DREAM Act. Cruz has also expressed support for Arizona’s “papers please” law.
- Chris Christie opposes a path to citizenship and DACA.
- John “Finish the Wall” Kasich opposes a path to citizenship, DACA, and sanctuary cities. Latinos are hardworking, Kasich’s said, “and, uh, that’s why in the hotel you leave a little tip.”
- Marco Rubio opposes: a path to citizenship, comprehensive immigration reform, and even Obama’s executive order protecting Dreamers against deportation. Like Cruz, he’s said he supported Arizona’s “papers please” law.
- Jeb Bush opposes a path to citizenship and DACA, and he spent a week last August denigrating American citizens as “anchor babies” — kick-starting the Republican dialogue on ending 14 Amendment-guaranteed birthright citizenship.
- Ben Carson opposes a path to citizenship, supports ending birthright citizenship, and says he’d “be willing to listen” to ideas about deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Published: Feb 6, 2016