Rubio defends immigration proposals
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio defended his proposal to combat illegal immigration and his support of a 2013 immigration reform bill Thursday during his first presidential campaign stop on Hilton Head Island.
Instead of mass-deportation plans or walls the length of the border with Mexico, lawmakers must first prove they can enforce existing immigration codes, the Florida Republican told hundreds of members of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting.
Only then will lawmakers be able to craft a practical reform plan that is palatable to the public, he said.
“The American people do not trust the federal government to enforce our immigration laws,” Rubio said. “If you want to fix the mess we have on immigration in this country, it begins with a very concrete step – proving to the American people that illegal immigration is under control. Actually doing it and proving it to people.”
Rubio’s proposals on illegal immigration have come under fire repeatedly in recent days, including Tuesday night’s GOP debate in Wisconsin.
On a conservative radio show Thursday morning, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz took aim at Rubio for his role in promoting a 2013 bill that would have granted a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. That proposal ultimately failed.
Rubio fired back Thursday in the Lowcountry, saying Cruz shares “almost all the same views on immigration.”
“Everybody on that stage has supported the legalization of people who are in the country illegally,” Rubio said. “Some of them define that as amnesty. I don’t. I think amnesty is forgiveness without consequence of a violation. I’m just trying to fix a problem. For 30 years, we’ve been debating this, and it’s only gotten worse.”
Pressed to respond to Donald Trump’s vow to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, Rubio said, “I don’t think it’s reasonable to say you’re going to round up and deport 11 million people. ...
“Suffice it to say, there are going to be deportations,” he said. “There are deportations in America now, and there are going to be people who will have to be deported. Criminals will have to be deported, people that have not been here long enough will have to be deported.”
Rubio arrived Wednesday in South Carolina, where he opened a state campaign headquarters office, on a new wave of momentum following two standout performances at the recent GOP debates.
The stops in Columbia and Hilton Head were his first in the Palmetto State this campaign season.
During his hour-long speech and question-and-answer session, Rubio repeated his call for expanded vocational training, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and stabilizing Medicare and Medicaid programs.
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 7:39 PM.