Immigration
Michele Bachmann
“The United States is a nation founded by immigrants and prides itself on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Obtaining the “American Dream” is an inherent part of our nation’s spirit and we should encourage those who
enter our country legally to achieve it. However, we are also a nation founded on the rule of law and we must ensure U.S.
immigration laws are respected and enforced to preserve our national security; protect federal, state, and local budgets;
and curb unfair strain on our country’s job markets.”
"How do you solve it? (illegal Immigration) You build a barrier, a fence, a wall — whatever you want to call it. You build it… As
president of the United States, every mile, every yard, every foot, every inch will be covered on that southern border…
August 16, 2011, Bachmann speaking at the Beacon Drive-in in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Bachmann is against health coverage for illegal immigrants. July 28, 2010 Townhall.com
Newt Gingrich
“There's nothing complicated about what's going on. The richest society in the planet is within geographic reach now, in
the age of modern transportation, of much poorer societies. So relatively smart people wake up in the morning and say,
Gee, I could earn $1 an hour here or $14 an hour in Kansas City. I wonder where I'd like to be next week. This isn't
complicated. It's not indecent and it’s not wrong. But a society which fails to control its own borders is asking for the level
of trouble we now have.”
On Amnesty
"Because I think we are going to want to find some way to deal with the people who are here to distinguish between those who
have no ties to the United States, and therefore you can deport them at minimum human cost, and those who, in fact, may have
earned the right to become legal, but not citizens" May 19, 2011, Iowa
“I am deeply committed to securing the border… I am deeply committed to changing the deportation rules for felons and gang
members… But I also think we have a huge challenge — what do you do with the human beings who are engaged, some of
whom are married, have children? It’s a very complicated situation, and I don’t you think you can just wave a magic wand and
have some kind of a simple, clean answer.”
March 1, 2011, Interview with The Hill
Ron Paul
“My approach to immigration is somewhat different than the others. Mine is you deal with it economically We're in worse shape now
because we subsidize immigration. We give food stamps, Social Security, free medical care, free education and amnesty. So you
subsidize it, and you have a mess. Conditions have changed. And I think this means that we should look at immigration differently.
It's an economic issue more than anything. If our economy was in good health, I don't think there'd be an immigration problem. We'd
be looking for workers and we would be very generous."
Dec 23, 2007, Interview with NBC’s Tim Russert in the NBC’s 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series
On Amnesty
Against.
“There’s an incentive for a lot of our people not to work, because they can get welfare. Then there’s a lot of incentive because they
know they’re going to get amnesty. We gave it to the illegals in the ‘80s. Then, we put mandates on the states to compel them to
have medical care. And you say, well, that’s compassionate. What happens if the hospital closes and then the people here in this
country don’t get medical care? So you can’t divorce it from the economics. You’ve got to get rid of the incentives. No amnesty. No
forced benefits. It just won’t work if you try to see this in a vacuum. You have to deal with it as a whole, as an economic issue as
well.
Jan. 5, 2008, speaking at the 2008 Republican primary debate at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire
•On Deportation
Against.
"One side says use the US Army, round them up ship them home. The other side says give them amnesty... The first choice—
sending twelve to fifteen million illegals home—isn't going to happen and shouldn't happen… if each case is looked at separately,
we would find ourselves splitting up families and deporting some who have lived here for decades, if not their entire life, and who
have never lived for any length of time in Mexico. This would hardly be a Good Samaritan approach to the problem. It would be
incompatible with human rights."
Page 153 from Paul’s 2011 book, Liberty Define
•U.S. Mexico Border Fence
Against.
“There was an immigration bill that had a fence in it, but it was to attack amnesty. I don’t like amnesty. So I voted for that
bill to stop the amnesty, but I didn't like the fence. I don't think the fence can solve our problem. I find it rather offensive.”
December 12, 2007, Interview with ABC’s John Stossel on ABCNEWS.com
Rick Perry
Pundits are almost in complete agreement that immigration will be one of the main issues that could potentially harm Rick Perry’s
presidential run. Perry’s stance on immigration, in terms of voting, policies and public speeches, mirrors closely to that of the
Democrats. The state’s dependency on about $3.8 million migrant workforce (out of which, 1.6 million are estimated to be illegal
immigrants, or 10% of the national total), is well documented.
Look, it’s (illegal immigration) is a huge problem, I would suggest on all the states along the border with Mexico, but,
here’s the bigger issue for me, Greta. It’s one that we try to really focus on and try to get the people all across the country
to look at. We can have these discussions and debates about immigration reforms but nothing matters, those things really
don’t matter until you secure the border. That’s what I’ve been trying to get the Federal Government to focus on for the
last four, five years.
July 28, 2010, Perry in an interview with Greta Van Susteran on Fox News
•On Legislation
“As I have said repeatedly, you can’t have homeland security without border security, and there is no sense in reforming
immigration laws if we cannot enforce them. And I have said equally as often that immigration reform without border
security is meaningless. Divisive language on the subject of border security and immigration reform is simply not
constructive or useful in solving the problem. We cannot be a nation that is anti-immigrant because we are in fact a nation
of immigrants… We just finished an election where the Washington politicians gave us a lot of rhetoric on immigration
reform, but no real solutions. We need Washington to be a part of the solution. For us it is not just a subject of intense
debate, it directly impacts how we live.”
December 14, 2006, From the Office of the Governor Rick Perry
You cannot have a discussion about immigration reform if you don't secure the border. So I mean, we certainly support
Arizona's sovereign right to pass the laws. As a matter of fact, we're one of eight states that has filed an amicus brief to
support Arizona in that effort. But it's all for naught if we do not do what the federal government is supposed to be doing,
which is securing our border. I always believe you extend the military, you secure our border and you deliver our mail,
preferably on Saturday and on time. And the federal government is a failure at two of those three.
July 28, 2010, Perry in an interview with Greta Van Susteran on Fox News
Watch the latest video at <a href="http://video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a>
•On Public Amenities & Infrastructure (Healthcare, Education, Shelter, etc)
"As a compassionate state, we know that for our children to succeed, they must not only be healthy, but educated. The
future leaders of our two nations are learning their fractions and their ABC's in classrooms all along this border.
Immigrants from around the world are being taught in Texas classrooms, and our history is rich with examples of new
citizens who have made great contributions. We must say to every Texas child learning in a Texas classroom, "we don't
care where you come from, but where you are going, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get there." And
that vision must include the children of undocumented workers. That's why Texas took the national lead in allowing such
deserving young minds to attend a Texas college at a resident rate. Those young minds are a part of a new generation of
leaders, the doors of higher education must be open to them. The message is simple: educacion es el futuro, y si se
puede."
August 22, 2001, Perry’s speech at the Border Summit 2001
•U.S. Mexico Border Fence
“You got strategic fencing in some of the metropolitan areas – it’s very helpful. But the idea that you’re going to build a
wall from Brownsville to El Paso is just -- it’s ridiculous on its face.”
August 17, 2011, Perry speaking to supporters on a campaign stop in New Hampshire
“Strategic fencing in certain urban areas to direct the flow of traffic does make sense, but building a wall on the entire
border is a preposterous idea… The only thing a wall would possibly accomplish is to help the ladder business.”
December 6, 2006, Perry speaking to the Texas Border Coalitio
Mitt Romney
“I am a great proponent of legal immigration… Many of you are living proof of the unique strength of America that is
constantly renewed by new Americans. The promise of America has brought some of the world’s best and brightest to our
shores.”
September 2, 2011, speech to the Republican National Hispanic Assembly Convention in Tampa, Florida
"I love immigration. I love legal immigrants coming into our country ... My guess is everybody in this room is a descendant
of an immigrant or an immigrant himself. So we love immigration as Americans. Immigration brings us education, new
cultures, ideas, innovative talent. It's wonderful to have legal immigration. I don't like illegal immigration."
February 8, 2007; Radio Iowa News
•On Amnesty
Very much against.
Illegal immigration has got to end and any form of citizenship amnesty is troublesome.
•On Legislation
"Governor Romney believes more state and local authorities should work with the federal government to enforce
immigration laws. This builds off of his experience in Massachusetts where he deputized the State Police to work with U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and enforce federal immigration laws ... Governor Romney will provide
additional resources to enforce existing immigration laws throughout the nation. We cannot be serious about our
immigration laws until we provide the resources needed to enforce them. "
November 9, 2007, Official Press Release from MittRomney.com
"We must stop providing the incentives that promote illegal immigration… As governor, I vetoed legislation that would
have provided in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants and I strengthened the authority our state troopers had to enforce
existing immigration laws."
September 2, 2011, speech to the Republican National Hispanic Assembly Convention in Tampa, Florida
"Let me tell you about immigration from my standpoint. I think number one, we should secure out border, and number
two, We should put in place an employment verification system. And by that I mean that everybody who is not a United
States citizen with a valid social security number would be expected to get a card with their name and number and some
biometric information and would indicate their work status. Whether they have a visa that allows them to work here or not.
And then when an employer is thinking of hiring someone, if they don't have a valid social security number, he/she ask for
the card, they put the number in the computer, and the federal database immediately tells them whether they are available
to be working or not. If they're not, you can't hire them. And if you do, you get the same penalties and fines as if you are
not paying your taxes."
April 3, 2007, Romney answering questions in the "Ask Mitt Anything" forum in Derry, New Hampshire.
•U.S. Mexico Border Fence
“civil but resolute ... to do a better job of securing its borders, and as president, I will. That means completing construction of a hightech fence, and investing in adequate manpower and resources.”
September 2, 2011, speech to the Republican National Hispanic Assembly Convention in Tampa, Florida
Mitt Romney’s Campaign Ad on Immigration