2016 Presidential Election Date:November 8, 2016

Candidates Winner:Donald Trump (R) Hillary Clinton (D) •Jill Stein (G) •Gary Johnson (L) •Vice presidential candidates

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See what the2016 candidates and their respective party platforms said about immigration below.

Interested in reading more about the 2016 candidates' stances on issues related to immigration?
Ballotpedia also covered what the candidates said aboutlabor and employment,foreign affairs,Syrian refugees,DACA and DAPA, andnational security.

Democratic ticket

Hillary Clinton

• Inan interview withVoxconducted on June 22, 2016, and published on July 11, 2016,Hillary Clinton discussed the benefits of immigration with interviewer Ezra Klein. Clinton said, “I think there are three big problems we have to address. One is just the human cost of those 11 million undocumented immigrants. I have met many of them — in fact, we all have, whether we acknowledge it or not. And these are hardworking people. These are people who are already contributing to the economy, whose children are in schools, who are really absolutely committed to the American dream. … I think also, though, there’s a lot of evidence that moving toward comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship would be good for our economy. We already know that undocumented workers are putting about $12 billion into the Social Security trust fund with no anticipation at this point that they’ll ever get anything out. They’re paying payroll taxes; they’re paying other forms of taxes — state and local as well as federal.”^[1]

• On May 25, 2016, Clinton pledged to address immigration reform featuring a pathway to citizenship within her first 100 days in office if elected president.^[2]

• In a statement released on May 12, 2016, Clinton said that she opposed the Obama administration’s plan to conduct large-scale immigration raids in May and June because they “tear families apart and sow fear in communities” and “are not productive and do not reflect who we are as a country.”^[3]

• Clinton announced on April 13, 2016, her plan to establish an Office of Immigrant Affairs to “build on the work of the Obama administration’s task force, and create a dedicated place in the White House to coordinate immigration policies across the federal government and with state and local government as well.” She presented the plan after being endorsed by the immigrant rights group New York State Immigrant Action Fund.^[4][5]

• At theeighth Democratic debate on March 9, 2016, Clinton commented on whether or not she would deport undocumented immigrants in the United States. She said, “Of the people, the undocumented people living in our country, I do not want to see them deported. I want to see them on a path to citizenship. That is exactly what I will do.”^[6]

• Clinton announced endorsements from eight prominent immigration activists on February 3, 2016. "Less than a month after Hillary announced her candidacy for president, her campaign reached out to us and said that she wanted to hear directly from DREAMers about our lives and experiences," Astrid Silva, the organizing director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said in a statement. “Although it was tempting to fall for what basically amounted to an immigration activist's wish list, we owed it to our families to support a realistic and achievable approach to fixing our immigration system,” Silva continued without directly mentioningBernie Sanders.^[7]

• Clinton called for an end to deportation raids of undocumented immigrants fleeing violence in Central America and increased funding for immigration attorneys to handle these asylum cases. “Our immigration enforcement efforts should be humane and conducted in accordance with due process, and that is why I believe we must stop the raids happening in immigrant communities," Clinton said in a statement on January 11, 2016.^[8]

• In response to reports of planned raids on undocumented refugees from Central America, Clinton’s campaign released a statement on December 24, 2015: "Hillary Clinton has real concerns about these reports, especially as families are coming together during this holiday season. She believes it is critical that everyone has a full and fair hearing, and that our country provides refuge to those that need it. And we should be guided by a spirit of humanity and generosity as we approach these issues.”^[9]

• In a July 2015 CNN interview, Clinton criticizedSan Francisco, a sanctuary city, for not enforcing federal immigration law and deporting a Mexican citizen who later murdered a young woman. Clinton said, "Well, what should be done is any city should listen to the Department of Homeland Security, which as I understand it, urged them to deport this man again after he got out of prison another time. Here’s a case where we’ve deported, we’ve deported, we’ve deported, he ends back up in our country, and I think the city made a mistake. The city made a mistake not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported. So I have absolutely no support for a city that ignores the strong evidence that should be acted on. However, there are — if it were the first time traffic citation many, if it were something minor — a misdemeanor, that’s entirely different. This man had already been deported five times, and he should have been deported at the request of the federal government."^[10]

• Clinton had previously expressed support for sanctuary cities in 2007, saying, "If local law enforcement begins to act like immigration officers what that means is that you will have people not reporting crimes. You will have people hiding from the police. And I think that is a real direct threat to the personal safety and security of all the citizens. So this is a result of the failure of the federal government and that’s where it needs to be fixed.”^[11]

• In April 2014, Clinton said that she supported "immigration reform and a path to citizenship."^[12]

• Clinton voted for S 1348 - Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.^[13]

• She voted for HR 6061 - Secure Fence Act of 2006, which authorized the construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.^[14]

DACA/ DAPA

• After the United States Supreme Court blocked President Obama from implementing hisImmigration Accountability Executive Actions on June 23, 2016,Hillary Clinton tweeted: "Today's heartbreaking #SCOTUS immigration ruling could tear apart 5 million families facing deportation. We must do better. -H."^[15] In a statement, Clinton called the ruling purely procedural and said that she thought President Obama had the authority to implement his immigration executive actions.^[16]

• During a Democratic town hall event on February 19, 2016, a woman asked, "Mrs. Clinton, what would you do to make possible that the DACA students become permanent residents? You know, they live with a lot of fear, because they have to renew their permits every two years and that is a terrifying prospect for them." Clinton replied, "Well, that's why I support the president's executive orders on DACA and DAPA. And I will do everything I can to make sure that they are kept in place. As you know, there's a court action challenging them. I don't know what's going to happen now, because of the Supreme Court situation. But I will renew them. I will go further if it's at all legally possible. And I will make this a big political issue because we need to keep those young people working, going to school, being productive members of our society. So I have to tell you, I will do what I can as president. I'm hoping if we win back the Senate and we win the White House again, the Republicans are going to see the error of their ways and quit using immigrants to divide our country and quit taking the kind of mean-spirited actions that they do. You know, I was the first person to call out Donald Trump. I said, 'Basta!' enough of this prejudice and paranoia and the kind of language that he uses. So I will do everything I can not only for the young people who deserve the highest protection, but for their families, as well."^[17]

• At thesixth Democratic presidential debate on February 11, 2016, Clinton discussedPresident Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions and comprehensive immigration reform. She said, “I strongly support the president's executive actions. I hope theSupreme Court upholds them. I think there is constitutional and legal authority for the president to have done what he did. I am against the raids. I'm against the kind of inhumane treatment that is now being visited upon families, waking them up in the middle of the night, rounding them up. We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can and often are keeping economies going in many places in our country. I'm a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. Have been ever since I was in theSenate. I was one of the original sponsors of theDREAM Act. I voted for comprehensive immigration reform in 2007. Senator Sanders voted against it at that time. Because I think we have to get to comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. And as president I would expand enormous energy, literally call every member of Congress that I thought I could persuade. Hopefully after the 2016 election, some of the Republicans will come to their senses and realize we are not going to deport 11 or 12 million people in this country. And they will work with me to get comprehensive immigration reform.”^[18]

• During a campaign speech at the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Brooklyn,New York, on December 19, 2015, Clinton noted that her director of Latino outreach, Lorella Praeli, was a DREAMer in order to highlight her stance onDACA andDAPA. Clinton said, "We’ve got to keep pushing Congress to act and we’ve got to keep raising the stakes, so candidates and elected officials know there will be consequences if they do not support comprehensive immigration reform. But having said that, we also can’t wait for the Congress. Too many families’ futures hang in the balance. So you can count on me to defend President Obama's executive actions on DACA and DAPA when I am president."^[19]

• Clinton's campaign website stated that would she "defend DACA and DAPA against partisan attacks and politically motivated lawsuits that would put DREAMers and others at risk of deportation." It also noted that Clinton would "put in place a simple, straightforward, accessible system for parents of DREAMers and others with a history of service and contribution to their communities to be able to make their case and be eligible for deferred action as well."^[20]

• On May 5, 2016, Clinton expressed her support for President Obama's executive actions on expanding DACA and implementing DAPA. She said, “If Congress refuses to act, as President I will do everything possible under the law to go even further. There are more people — like many parents of DREAMers and others with deep ties and contributions to our communities—who deserve a chance to stay. I’ll fight for them too. The law currently allows for sympathetic cases to be reviewed, but right now most of these cases have no way to get a real hearing. Therefore we should put in place a simple, straightforward, and accessible way for parents of DREAMers and others with a history of service and contribution to their communities to make their case and be eligible for the same deferred action as their children.”^[21]

• Washington Post opinion writer Greg Sargent wrote, "Clinton didn’t definitively say that as president she would award what amounts to a quasi-categorical grant of deferred action status to parents of DREAMers. Rather, she said she would seek to improve the process by which parents of DREAMers can apply for existing deferred action status, which (as mentioned above) they can already do."^[21]

• Immigration attorney David Leopold agreed with Sargent's assessment, saying, “All of us walked away from this thinking she is going to expand DACA and DAPA, but it’s not clear she would do that. She didn’t explicitly call for expanding Obama’s current executive actions. She didn’t say, ‘I’m going to expand DAPA to the parents of DREAMers.’ What she did say is there should be a simple process in place by which people who have been here a long time can apply for deferred action. But that wouldn’t mean a categorical grant.”^[21]

• Read more of Hillary Clinton's public statements on immigration.

Tim Kaine

• Tim Kaine was among the 68 senators who passed a comprehensive immigration reformbill on June 27, 2013. The bill aimed to overhaul U.S. immigration laws by clearing the way for millions of people living in the U.S. without legal permission to have a chance at citizenship, attracting workers from across the globe, and boosting U.S.-Mexico border security resources. In support of the bill, Kaine delivered the first everspeech in Spanish on the Senate floor. Despite bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill stalled in the House.^[24]

• Kaine supported efforts to expand theDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) andDeferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) programs.^[25]
  • On December 3, 2015, Kaine, along with 215 other members of Congress, joined anamicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of PresidentObama's November 2014executive actions on immigration. The amicus brief called on the court to review theFifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision inUnited States v. Texas that blocked the implementation of DAPA and the expansion of DACA.^[26]
  • On June 23, 2016, the Supreme Court announced a 4-4 split decision inUnited States v. Texas. In the case of an equally divided court, the lower court's decision is affirmed. In response, Kaine said in a statement, "The Supreme Court’s split decision on DAPA and DACA is a setback, but the fight to bring millions of families in Virginia and across the country out of the shadows is far from over. President Obama made a lawful and moral decision to ensure law abiding families will not be torn apart because of Congress’ refusal to address our broken immigration system, and I will continue to do everything I can to support this effort."^[27]

• Read more of Tim Kaine's public statements on 2016 campaign issues.

Republican ticket

Donald Trump

• In a speech on October 22, 2016, Trump said that, if elected, he would work with Congress to pass the “End Illegal Immigration Act,” which he said “[f]ully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall.”^[28]

• At a "commander-in-chief" forum on NBC News on September 7, 2016, Trump said he was open to allowing undocumented immigrations serving in the military to remain in the country. He said, "I think that when you serve in the armed forces, that’s a very special situation, and I could see myself working that out, absolutely.”^[29]

• On August 31, 2016,Trump delivered a speech inPhoenix, Arizona, where he discussed immigration policy, saying, “For those here illegally today who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only. To return home and apply for re-entry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined today.” In the speech, Trump laid out a ten point plan on immigration policy:^[30]
  • One: “We will build a great wall along the southern border. And Mexico will pay for the wall.”
  • Two: “We are going to end catch and release. … Under my administration, anyone who illegally crosses the border will be detained until they are removed out of our country and back to the country from which they came.”
  • Three: “Zero tolerance for criminal aliens. Zero. They don't come in here. They don't come in here. … We're going to triple the number of ICE deportation officers. … We're also going to hire 5,000 more Border Patrol agents.”
  • Four: “Block funding for sanctuary cities. We block the funding. No more funds.”
  • Five: “Cancel unconstitutional executive orders and enforce all immigration laws. We will immediately terminate President Obama's two illegal executive amnesties in which he defied federal law and the Constitution to give amnesty to approximately five million illegal immigrants, five million.”
  • Six: “Suspend the issuance of visas to any place where adequate screening cannot occur.”
  • Seven: “Ensure that other countries take their people back when they order them deported.”
  • Eight: “We will finally complete the biometric entry-exit visa tracking system which we need desperately. … The politicians are all talk, no action, never happens. Never happens. … In my administration we will ensure that this system is in place.”
  • Nine: “Turn off the jobs and benefits magnet. We will ensure that E-Verify is used to the fullest extent possible under existing law.”
  • Ten: “Reform legal immigration to serve the best interests of America and its workers the forgotten people. Workers. We're going to take care of our workers.”

• In part two of a town hall event that aired on Fox News on August 24, 2016, Trump indicated an openness to altering his stance on illegal immigration. Responding to a question about whether he would allow undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes to stay in the country, Trump said, “No citizenship. Let me go a step further -- they'll pay back-taxes, they have to pay taxes, there's no amnesty, as such, there's no amnesty, but we work with them. Now, everybody agrees we get the bad ones out. But when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject, and I've had very strong people come up to me, really great, great people come up to me, and they've said, ‘Mr. Trump, I love you, but to take a person who's been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it's so tough, Mr. Trump.' I have it all the time! It's a very, very hard thing."^[31]
• At a town hall event in Austin, Texas, on August 23, 2016, Trump said that he was open to “a softening” on some of his immigration policies. “There certainly can be a softening because we're not looking to hurt people. We want people — we have some great people in this country. We are going to follow the laws of this country.” Trump added that he still plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, saying, “It's going to happen, 100 percent.”^[32]

• AfterTrump met with his newly formed Hispanic advisory council on August 20, 2016, there were some reports that Trump was open to a path to legalization. “He said people who are here is the toughest part of the immigration debate, that it must be something that respects border security but deals with this in a humane and efficient manner,” said Jacob Monty. Former Romney advisor Jose Fuentes, who also attended the meeting, said, “The idea is we’re not getting someone in front of the line, we’re doing it in a legal way, but he wants to hear ideas of how we deal with 11 million people that are here with no documents.” In an interview on Sunday, Trump campaign managerKellyanne Conway said it was “to be determined” whether Trump would continue to support forced deportation.^[33][34]
  • During an interview on Fox News on August 22, 2016, Trump was asked to clarify his position on addressing illegal immigration. “We have to be very firm. We have to be very, very strong when people come in illegally. We have a lot of people that want to come in through the legal process and it's not fair for them. And we're working with a lot of people in the Hispanic community to try and come up with an answer,” he said. When asked if he was flip-flopping from previous calls for deportation, he responded, “No, I'm not flip-flopping. We want to come up with one a really fair, but firm answer. That's — it has to be very firm. But we want to come up with something fair.”^[35]
  • In a pre-recorded interview with Fox News that aired later the same day, Trump backed deportation, at the least, for violent criminals. “We’re going to obey the existing laws. Now, the existing laws are very strong. The existing laws, the first thing we’re gonna do, if and when I win, is we’re gonna get rid of all of the bad ones. We’ve got gang members, we have killers, we have a lot of bad people that have to get out of this country.” He also said he would not use detention centers.^[36]

• During an interview on with NBC hostChuck Todd on July 24, 2016, Trump discussed his plan to "immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time it's proven that vetting mechanisms have been put in place." He said, "People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can't use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I'm okay with that, because I'm talking territory instead of Muslim." Trump said he will release a list of places “from which he would want to cut off immigration.” Trump added, "We have nations and we'll come out -- I'm going to be coming out over the next few weeks with a number of the places. … there are specific problems in Germany and we have problems with France. … Here is what I want: Extreme vetting. Tough word. Extreme vetting... we're going to have tough standards."^[37]
• Trump delivered a speech in New Hampshire on June 13, 2016, addressing national security concerns, Hillary Clinton’s response to terrorism, and the Orlando mass shooting. Trump presented immigration reform as a critical element of his anti-terrorism policy.
  • On the Orlando shooter’s heritage, Trump said, “The killer, whose name I will not use, or ever say, was born to Afghan parents who immigrated to the United States. His father published support for the Afghan Taliban, a regime which murders those who don’t share its radical views. The father even said he was running for President of that country. The bottom line is that the only reason the killer was in America in the first place was because we allowed his family to come here.”
  • During the same speech on June 13, 2016, Trump addressed suspending immigration from countries with histories of terrorism. He said, “I called for a ban after San Bernardino, and was met with great scorn and anger but now, many are saying I was right to do so – and although the pause is temporary, we must find out what is going on. The ban will be lifted when we as a nation are in a position to properly and perfectly screen those people coming into our country. The immigration laws of the United States give the President the power to suspend entry into the country of any class of persons that the President deems detrimental to the interests or security of the United States, as he deems appropriate. I will use this power to protect the American people. When I am elected, I will suspend immigration from areas of the world when there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we understand how to end these threats.”^[38]

• During a campaign event in Exeter,New Hampshire, on February 4, 2016, a woman from Southern California said to Trump, "I know the role that they [individuals who immigrated to the U.S. illegally] have in the California and national economy because they do work that no one else wants to do and for a lot less.” Trump responded, "Who told you to be here?Bernie? No, no, this is a Bernie plant. This is a Bernie plant. All right, OK, I understand your question." A second woman then yelled, “that immigrants were part of the backbone of the US,” according to Yahoo. Trump replied, "I don't think so, darling. I don't think so. I don't think so. No, I don't think so. They're not the backbone. … Let me just tell you something, you know what the backbone of our country [is]? People that came here and they came here legally. People that came to this country legally. And they worked their a-- off and they made the country great. That's the backbone.”^[39]

• Reuters reported on December 22, 2015, that several liberal and Latino activist organizations are usingDonald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration to register Latino voters. Trump’s campaign chairman in New Hampshire, Fred Doucette, rejected the idea, saying, “The ones that are upset are the ones that are illegal quite frankly.” Alfonso Aguilar of the conservative American Principles Project said, however, that “Donald Trump is a political gift to the Democratic political machine.”^[40]

• At thefifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Trump discussed his position on immigration: “I have a very hardline position, we have a country or we don't have a country. People that have come into our country illegally, they have to go. They have to come back into through a legal process. I want a strong border. I do want a wall. Walls do work, you just have to speak to the folks in Israel. Walls work if they're properly constructed. I know how to build, believe me, I know how to build. I feel a very, very strong bind, and really I'm bound to this country, we either have a border or we don't. People can come into the country, we welcome people to come but they have to come in legally.”^[41]

• At thefifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Trump discussed protecting America’s borders: “We are not talking about isolation. We're talking about security. We're not talking about religion. We're talking about security. Our country is out of control. People are pouring across the southern border. I will build a wall. It will be a great wall. People will not come in unless they come in legally. Drugs will not pour through that wall. As far as other people like in the migration, where they're going, tens of thousands of people having cell phones with ISIS flags on them? I don't think so, Wolf. They're not coming to this country. And if I'm president and if Obama has brought some to this country, they are leaving. They're going. They're gone.”^[42]

• During an interview on MSNBC’sMorning Joe on November 11, 2015, Trump discussed his plan to deport those in the U.S. without documentation. He said, "You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely. You have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country and they're waiting to come in legally."^[43]

• Trump said on October 29, 2015, in an interview withBreitbartthat he requested Walt Disney rehire approximately 250 U.S. employees it replaced with foreigners holding H1-B visas. "I am calling onRubio to immediately rescind his sponsorship of the [H-1B] bill and apologize to every Floridian for endorsing it,” Trump added.^[44]

• At a Trump campaign rally on October 23, 2015, a Latino immigration activist was forced to the ground and kicked as others chanted, “USA! USA!” Trump acknowledged the removal of several protesters during his speech at the rally, saying, “You can get 'em out, but don't hurt 'em." Later, he added, "See the first group, I was nice: 'Oh, take your time.’ The second group, I was pretty nice. The third group, I'll be pretty more violent. And the fourth group, I'll say, 'Get the hell out of here!'"^[45]

• During an interview on Fox News, October 18, 2015, Trump said that his immigration policy would have prevented the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He said, “I am extremely, extremely tough on illegal immigration. I am extremely tough on people coming into this country. I believe that if I were running things, I doubt that those people would have been in the country. ...I’m not blaming George Bush. But I don’t want Jeb to say 'my brother kept us safe.'”^[46]

• In September 2015, Trump said it would take 18 months to 2 years to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants with “really good management.”^[47]

• Trump announced the details of his immigration platform on August 16, 2015. To pay for a border wall, Trump said he would “impound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages; increase fees on all temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats (and if necessary cancel them); increase fees on all border crossing cards – of which we issue about 1 million to Mexican nationals each year (a major source of visa overstays); increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico (another major source of overstays); and increase fees at ports of entry to the United States from Mexico.” Trump also intended to triple the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, institute nationwide E-Verify, process the "mandatory return of all criminal aliens," detain undocumented immigrants and only release them to their country of origin, defund sanctuary cities, enhance penalties for overstaying a visa, end birthright citizenship, require companies to hire American workers first and apply stricter standards for refugee status.^[48]

• According toReuters, Trump's companies applied for temporary visas for at least 1,100 foreign workers between 2000 and 2015.^[49]

• On July 26, 2015, Trump said his immigration plan would begin with deporting "the bad ones." Trump explained, “I'm gonna get rid of the bad ones fast, and I'm gonna send them back. We're not going to be putting them in prisons here and pay for them for the next 40 years.”^[50]

• During a trip to the Mexican border on July 23, 2015, which Trump claimed put him in “great danger,” he reiterated his support for a wall along the border “in certain sections.”^[51]

• During his presidential bid announcement speech on June 16, 2015, Trump stated immigrants from Mexico are "people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." Trump added, "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively, I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall."^[52]

• Trump said providing a path to citizenship would be politically disadvantageous forRepublicans at the 2013Conservative Political Action Conference. He explained, "You can be out front, you can be the spearhead, you can do whatever you want to do, but every one of those 11 million people will be voting Democratic. It's just the way it works and you have to be very, very careful because you could say that to a certain extent, the odds aren't looking so great right now for Republicans, that you're on a suicide mission. You're just not going to get those votes."^[53]

• In 2011, Trump rejected the idea that children born in the United States to a mother residing there without legal permission should gain American citizenship under theConstitution. Trump said, "The clear purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, was to guarantee full citizenship rights to now emancipated former slaves. It was not intended to guarantee untrammeled immigration to the United States."^[54]

• In 2000, Trump noted in his book,The America We Deserve, that legal immigration should be made more challenging. Trump wrote, "The majority of legal immigrants can often make significant contributions to our society because they have special skills and because they add to our nation’s cultural diversity. They come with the best of intentions. But legal immigrants do not and should not enter easily. It’s a long, costly, draining, and often frustrating experience-by design. I say to legal immigrants: Welcome and good luck."^[55]

DACA/ DAPA

• After the United States Supreme Court blocked President Obama from implementing hisImmigration Accountability Executive Actions on June 23, 2016,Donald Trump tweeted: "SC has kept us safe from exec amnesty--for now. But Hillary has pledged to expand it, taking jobs from Hispanic & African-American workers."^[56] He also issued the following statement: "Today's 4-4 Supreme Court ruling has blocked one of the most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a President. The executive amnesty from President Obama wiped away the immigration rules written by Congress, giving work permits and entitlement benefits to people illegally in the country. This split decision also makes clear what is at stake in November. The election, and the Supreme Court appointments that come with it will decide whether or not we have a border and, hence, a country. Clinton has pledged to expand Obama's executive amnesty, hurting poor African-American and Hispanic workers by giving away their jobs and federal resources to illegal immigrant labor – while making us all less safe. It is time to protect our country and Make America Safe Again and Great Again for everyone."^[57]

• In August 2015, Trump said that he would rescindPresident Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions, which proposed extendingDACA and creatingDAPA. During an interview with Chuck Todd, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," Trump said, "We have to make a whole new set of standards. And when people come in, they have to come in..." Todd then interrupted Trump, asking, "You're going to split up families. You're going to deport children." Trump replied, "Chuck — no, no. No, we're going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together." Todd then asked, "But you're going to kick them out?" Trump replied, "They have to go." Todd then asked, "What if they have no place to go?" Trump said, "We will work with them. They have to go. Chuck, we either have a country or we don't have a country. Either we have a country or not."^[58]

• Read more of Donald Trump's public statements on immigration.

Mike Pence

• DiscussingDonald Trump's immigration policy on CNN on August 28, 2016, Pence said, "There will be no path to legalization, no path to citizenship unless people leave the country."^[60]

• In December 2014,Mike Pence announced his intent to file a lawsuit against PresidentBarack Obama for his executive order protecting undocumented immigrants. He said, "While reasonable people can differ on ways to improve our nation's broken immigration system, the president's unilateral action was an unacceptable end run around the democratic process, and joining other states in pursuing legal recourse to challenge this action is the right thing to do."^[61]

• In 2006, Pence voted for H.R.6095 - the Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006, which proposed affirming "that state and local law enforcement personnel have the inherent authority to investigate, identify, arrest, detain, or transfer to federal custody aliens in the United States (including the transportation of such aliens across state lines to detention centers) for purposes of assisting in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws in the course of carrying out routine duties."^[62]

• In 2006, Pence voted for H.R.6061 - the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which, among other things, required the construction of fencing along the U.S. – Mexico border. It became law on October 26, 2006.^[63]

• In 2004, Pence voted for H.R.3722 - the Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments of 2004, which proposed requiring hospitals to provide the Secretary of Homeland Security with information about undocumented aliens seeking medical treatment.^[64]
• Read more of Mike Pence's public statements on 2016 campaign issues.

Green ticket

Jill Stein

• Vox published an interview withJill Stein on September 14, 2016, covering a range of policy issues, including immigration, student debt, gun control, climate change, and foreign relations.^[65]
  • Stein expressed concern with temporary work visas, saying, “There are problems with temporary visas for immigrants — there’s a real downside to that, in that they become second class citizens and they become subject to a whole other tier of low wages. This is partly why we call for full citizenship for immigrants who have been here. That’s the bulk of the issue.”
  • She also said that the "immigration crisis" must be addressed at its root—"predatory U.S. foreign policy." She explained, "We also drive this immigration crisis through the war on drugs, which has killed 100,000 people in Mexico alone over the last six years — that is driving a wave of refugees. And by overturning democracies in other countries — in particular, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — by supporting corporate coups asHillary Clinton did in Honduras, giving them the thumbs up. Death squads — which we have been a party to training — and invasions of other countries. We are creating this wave of refugees, and then shamefully we are then criminalizing these refugees once they come here by detaining, deporting, and night raiding them."

• On Stein's 2016 presidential campaign website, she called for an end to nighttime deportation raids. She says, "Our nation of immigrants needs a just immigration system that won't allow the ruling elite to divide working people. That means halting deportations, passing the DREAM Act, and creating legal status and a path to citizenship for hard-working, law-abiding undocumented immigrants. The U.S. government shouldn’t be deporting innocent families who are fleeing violence, starvation and persecution in their home countries. Forcing them to return puts them at risk of rape, torture, and death. Many have already had family members murdered or actively threatened with murder."^[66]

• During a phone interview withCounterPunch on February 12, 2016, Paul Street askedJill Stein about white American workers and fears of immigration. Stein said that the white working class has real reason to fear the impact of immigrants on wages and employment and that the immigration problem is rooted largely in U.S. foreign and economic policies. Stein said, "People ask me 'what are you going to do about immigration?' I say we're going to stop causing it . . . through wars and NAFTA, the war on drugs, coups and military interventions. We need to connect the dots." Stein added, "[P]eople are not stupid. They can and will get it when you make the connections."^[67]

• OnJill Stein's 2012 presidential campaign website, she advocated for the repeal of the Secure Communities Act, the demilitarization of the border and granting legal status to immigrants living and working in the United States without documentation.^[68]

DACA/ DAPA

• After the United States Supreme Court blocked President Obama from implementing hisImmigration Accountability Executive Actions on June 23, 2016,Jill Stein issued the following statement: "Our nation of immigrants needs a just immigration system that won't allow the ruling elite to divide working people. That means halting deportations, passing the DREAM Act, and creating legal status and a path to citizenship for hard-working, law-abiding undocumented immigrants. ... The US government shouldn't be deporting innocent families who are fleeing violence, starvation and persecution in their home countries. Forcing them to return puts them at risk of rape, torture, and death. Many have already had family members murdered or actively threatened with murder." Stein added that "she would seek to reinstate the administrative protections against such deportations and appoint a US Supreme Court Justice that would uphold the constitution and protect the needs of average people," if elected president.^[69]

• After the ruling, Stein also criticizedHillary Clinton in the following tweet: "As SOS Hillary supported the deportation of immigrants. Including refugees coming from Honduras, a crisis she was very much responsible for."^[70]

• Read more of Jill Stein's public statements on 2016 campaign issues.

Ajamu Baraka

• After the2016 vice presidential debate on October 4, 2016, Baraka participated in Democracy Now!'s "Expanding the Debate" program and responded to the same questions that were posed toTim Kaine andMike Pence. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! asked Baraka to describe the Green Party’s plan for immigration and for his response to the Democratic and Republican vice presidential candidates. Baraka responded, "Dr. Stein has laid out our plan, which is basically we support comprehensive immigration reform. But we also understand that we’ve got to address the issues that drive people to this country. And those issues are related to the—to the relationship between the U.S. and these various countries in various parts of the world, in particular in Central and South America. If we have fair trade, if we have a situation where countries are allowed to develop along their own lines, where they can develop their economy, then we won’t have the push that we see that is occurring that’s compelling people to have to come to or go to another country in order to survive. We see the consequence ofNAFTA is devastating effects on the countryside in Mexico. And now we see the same kind of agreement being at the point of being approved with theTrans-Pacific Partnership. So, these kinds of fair—these kinds of trade issues, these kinds of economic issues are the driving force for immigration."

Baraka continued, "We think that both parties are—can be criticized for their immigration, or non-immigration, policies. It is really sort of rich that theDemocrats will talk about deportation, where under theObama administration we’ve had record deportations. And the consequence has been a reign of terror in various immigrant communities. The Obama administration has refused to respect the provisions of the covenant—of the convention on migrant rights, that would give undocumented folks the ability to live a life out of the shadows, to have access to education and to healthcare. So, both parties have played games with this immigration issue."

"And we believe that the only way we’re going to be able to address this issue is, again, building a powerful movement that will force the politicians to have something that is really rooted in the real needs of people, to allow them to be legalized and allow them to organize themselves and allow them to be fully human. And that means we’ve got to struggle to achieve that," Baraka concluded.^[72]

• Read more about Ajamu Baraka.

Libertarian ticket

Gary Johnson

• Johnson objected to the use of the term “illegal immigrant” in an interview with Townhall on September 1, 2016. He said, “If you use the term illegal immigrants, that is very incendiary to our Hispanic population here in this country.” When the host, Guy Benson, asked why, Johnson responded, “It just is. Just so that you know. Just so that you know and you don't have to use that term. … They came into this country because they couldn't get in legally and the jobs existed and you or I would have done the same thing. And what we're talking about now, coming from New Mexico, a population with 48 percent Hispanic, how's the crack-down on 11 million undocumented workers going to work out? It's going to be dragging people from their homes, that's how it's going to work out.”^[73]

• On August 29, 2016, Johnson published an op-ed about immigration reform on CNN’s website. He said, “[Americans] know that the only realistic and … humane policy is to find a fair and safe way to allow non-criminal, undocumented immigrants to get right with the law and go about their lives, paying taxes, having a valid Social Security number, and earning a legal status. No cutting the line. No "special" path to citizenship. Just a common sense way for undocumented immigrants with jobs, families, and a clean record to come forward and live by the same rules as the rest of us.” Johnson also criticized Donald Trump’s immigration proposals, saying “Rounding up more than 11 million people -- a population larger than all but the 7 largest states in the union -- is a ludicrous notion to begin with. Everyone knows it, including Donald Trump. It was a lie cloaked in a promise.”^[74]

• In an interview withNPRprior to winning his party’s nomination on May 29, 2016,Gary Johnson criticized the immigration policies of bothDonald Trump and the Obama administration. He said, “Well, what I have identified is that 30 percent of Republican voters believe the scourge of the earth is Mexican immigration. So [Trump] has tapped into this anger, which – you know, it's human nature. We all want to somehow justify why things aren't going right. And I think that Mexican immigration – legal, illegal – has taken that on. There's a real misunderstanding about illegal immigration. I mean, President Obama has broken up 3 million families by deporting and breaking up families here in the United States. So it isn't just Democrats and Republicans. But as a border state governor, I have to tell you this is a bad thing.”^[75]

• During an interview withThe Texas Tribune on April 12, 2016, Johnson discussed immigration and other topics. Johnson said, “I think we should make it as easy as possible for somebody who wants to come into this country and work to get a work visa. I’m not talking about a green card. The solution is to create a moving line. Don’t put the government in charge of quotas. There will either be jobs or there won’t be jobs. And a work visa should include a background check and a Social Security card so that taxes get paid.” Johnson also said that “there should be a pathway to citizenship, and there should be an embrace of immigration as something really good. They’re not taking jobs that U.S. citizens want.”^[76]

• During Part 2 of a Libertarian candidate forum that aired on the Fox Business Network on April 8, 2016, host John Stossel askedGary Johnson what he would do about illegal immigration. Johnson replied, “I would make it as easy as possible for those illegal immigrants to get a work visa as long as they haven’t committed any crimes.”^[77]

• On January 19, 2016, in an interview withThe Telegraph,Johnson discussed his views on illegal immigration. He said, “If you go back 50 years, if you go back 40 years, the US was a different country and it wasn’t really considered illegal immigration. Citizens from Mexico came across the border, settling inNew Mexico and other states to make better lives for themselves. And now their children have had children have had children. And you’re going to have millions of Americans in the category of having been here for a long time. They now have families and you’re going to deport them back over the border? For the most part, these are hardworking individuals trying to make better lives for themselves. They’re here for one reason and that’s to work. The handful who do come here for welfare benefits is far outweighed by the number who never lay claim to those benefits. The great untold story is that a false Social Security Number is given to an employer so that the illegal Mexican can work. Well, those are taxes that are withheld (by the employer) and never laid claim to (by the worker). Illegal immigration from a dollars and cents standpoint is positive for the US.”^[78]

• In August 2015,Gary Johnson sent an e-mail to Our America Initiative supporters criticizing the use of the term "anchor babies" in discussions of immigration policy. He said, "Of course, the term 'Anchor Baby' is offensive. How could it not be? I live inNew Mexico — and wasGovernor for eight years. Trust me. It’s offensive. Even more offensive is the absurdity of people namedBush,Trump andClinton trying to decide what’s offensive to immigrants." He added, "For the record, in my opinion, if a young woman is enterprising enough to sneak across the border for the purpose of having a child who will then be eligible for citizenship in the U.S. — and who can, 21 years later when he or she has reached adulthood, perhaps sponsor family members for legal status, that might be a family who will make pretty good Americans."^[79]

• Johnson said in 2012 that he supported comprehensive immigration reform, including "a grace period" for undocumented immigrants. "I wouldn't call it amnesty I would call it a grace period. I think one of the real misconceptions about amnesty is that its citizenship. I am advocating comprehensive immigration reform. I think we should make it as easy as possible to get a work visa. Would immigrants stand in line to get a work visa if the line was moving? I think that they would," he said in an interview withiSideWith. When asked if this policy should be developed by the states or the federal government, he responded, "In this case the work visa does fall under the Constitution and that would be a federal rule. It would be complicated if you had a work visa in New Mexico and Colorado would not honor it."^[80]

• In a June 2011 interview withRolling Stone, Johnson advocated for increasing the number of work visas granted to foreign students educated at American universities. He said, "Because of our convoluted immigration policies we’re educating the best and brightest kids from all over the world and we’re sending them back to their countries of origin. Instead of them staying here to start up businesses that will employ tens of millions of Americans they go home and employ tens of millions of Indians. We’re doing that to ourselves. We should make it as easy as possible to be able to get a legal work visa – not citizenship, not a green card. Just a work visa, with a background check and a social security card so that applicable taxes would get paid."^[81]
  • Johnson also said that the legalization of marijuana would reduce border violence with Mexico by 75 percent. "We’ve had 28,000 deaths south of the border over the last four years. If we can’t connect the dots between prohibition and violence, I don’t know if we ever will," he said.^[81]

• In May 2011, Johnson opposed the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Speaking at aTea Party rally, he said, "The notion of building a fence across 2000 miles of border, the notion of putting the National Guard arm in arm across 2,000 miles of border, in my opinion would be a whole lot of money spent with very little, if any, benefit whatsoever.” Johnson spoke withThe Huffington Post after, adding, "I gotta tell you, [a wall's] not going to work. It’s as simple as an 11-foot ladder to get across a 10-foot fence."^[82]

DACA/ DAPA

• When asked about President Obama'sImmigration Accountability Executive Actions during the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) conference on June 23, 2016,Gary Johnson said, “I happen to agree with Obama. ... I think that what Obama has done is what needs to happen, although I would not want to be deporting and breaking up families like has happened. But the executive orders that he has implemented — I agree with. They’re all OK.”^[83]

• Read more of Gary Johnson's public statements on immigration.

Bill Weld

• On April 1, 2013, Bill Weld and Susan J. Cohen authored an opinion piece inThe Boston Globe that urged both Republicans and Democrats to "recognize the many compelling reasons for overhauling our current immigration system." They began by making economic arguments for expanding paths to legal immigration. They wrote, "Our high-tech visa backlog is driving Microsoft and Facebook jobs to Dublin and Vancouver. Our rules on foreign graduates in countless fields, including engineering, mathematics, and computer science, are sending young people home who would rather stay and work here. Instead of benefiting from our beacon of freedom, we are literally educating our competition, at the expense of US innovation and exports."^[85]
• In the April 1, 2013, editorial, Weld and Cohen discussed problems related to visas, "[O]ur annual caps on the number of all kinds of visas, from H-1B (specialty occupation) visas to permanent resident visas, are unrealistic. Many people become frustrated by the multiyear delays and give up their dream of trying to make a contribution here." They continued, "[W]e need a year-round visa category for unskilled workers in fields such as health care, food service, construction, and property maintenance, and it should provide a mechanism to move from temporary to permanent status. The wages of all these workers would be fully taxed, for the first time. Once out of the shadows, workers in legal or probationary status will be able to move from job to job, increasing their earnings. And yes, they should be free to join unions if they choose. Labor unions should no more oppose immigration reform than they should oppose an increase in the country’s population."^[85]
• Weld and Cohen also made a political argument for overhauling the nation's immigration system. They wrote on April 1, 2013, "It would be political suicide not to [support reform].President Obama won 71 percent of the Latino vote in the last election. Why? Because immigration reform matters to the current Latino electorate. Conservatives who currently oppose such an overhaul should consider this: Hispanics are hard-working, patriotic, strongly committed to family, and by and large socially conservative. Fix this problem and they might well become Republican voters. Republican congressmen, meanwhile, are committed to progrowth economic policies, hard work, self-reliance, entrepreneurship, innovation, and American exceptionalism. They are—or should be—natural supporters of a comprehensive overhaul of the US immigration system."^[85]
• Read more about Bill Weld.

Withdrawn candidates

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term2016 + presidential + candidates + immigration

See also

• Presidential candidates, 2016
• Electoral College

External links

• ProCon.org's "Should the Federal Government Use Raids to Enforce Immigration Laws?"
• ProCon.org's "Should Checking Employee Immigration Status (as in the E-Verify Program) Be Mandatory for All Employers?"
• ProCon.org's "Should the United States Continue to Build the Fence/Wall along the US-Mexico Border?"
• ProCon.org's "Should Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Be Allowed to Become Legal Residents?"
• ProCon.org's "Should Sanctuary Cities Continue to Receive Federal Funding for Law Enforcement?"
• ProCon.org's "Should the United States Allow Syrian Refugees into the Country?"

Footnotes

v • e 2016 United States Presidential Election Overviews 2016 presidential election •2016 presidential candidates •2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules •2016 vice presidential candidates •Possible vice presidential picks Candidate profiles Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Jill Stein Gary Johnson Path to the presidency Republican Convention •Republican Primary Democratic Convention •Democratic Primary Policy positions Abortion •Defunding Planned Parenthood •Agricultural subsidies •Black Lives Matter movement •Budgets •Education •Energy and environmental policy •Federal assistance programs •Federalism •Foreign affairs •LGBTQ rights •Government regulations •Healthcare •Immigration •DACA and DAPA •International trade •Rural policy •Taxes On the campaign trail Ballotpedia's battleground poll • Campaign preparations • Political and leadership attributes •Presidential campaign trackers and opposition researchers Campaign staff Presidential campaign staff transfers, resignations and terminations •Staff leaks from 2016 presidential campaigns Clinton staffers •O'Malley staffers •Sanders staffers Bush staffers •Carson staffers •Christie staffers •Cruz staffers •Fiorina staffers •Huckabee staffers •Kasich staffers •Paul staffers •Rubio staffers •Santorum staffers •Trump staffers Debates PBS, February 11, 2016 (Milwaukee) •PBS, February 4, 2016 (Durham, N.H.) •NBC News, January 17, 2016 (Charleston, S.C.) •ABC, December 19, 2015 (Manchester, N.H.) •CBS, November 14, 2015 (Des Moines) •CNN, October 13, 2015](Las Vegas) February 13, 2016 (Greenville, S.C.) •ABC, February 6, 2016 (Manchester, N.H.) •Fox News, January 28, 2016 (Des Moines) •Fox Business, January 14, 2016 (North Charleston, S.C.) •CNN, December 15, 2015 (Las Vegas) •Fox Business, November 10, 2015 (Milwaukee) •CNBC, October 28, 2015 (Boulder) •CNN, September 16, 2015 (Reagan Library) •Fox News, August 6, 2015 (Cleveland) Analysis The media's coverage of Donald Trump •The media's coverage of Hillary Clinton Post-debate analysis overview Democratic:April 14, 2016 (CNN) •March 9, 2016 (Univision) •March 6, 2016 (CNN) •February 11, 2016 (PBS) •February 4, 2016 (MSNBC) •January 17, 2016 (NBC) •December 19, 2015 (ABC) •November 14, 2015 (CBS) •October 13, 2015 (CNN) Republican:March 10, 2016 (CNN) •March 3, 2016 (FNC) •February 25, 2016 (CNN) •February 13, 2016 (CBS) •February 6, 2016 (ABC) •January 28, 2016 (FNC) •January 14, 2016 (FBN) •December 15, 2015 (CNN) •November 10, 2015 (FBN) •October 28, 2015 (CNBC) •September 16, 2015 (CNN) Insiders Poll: First Democratic debate (October 13, 2015) •Presidential Nominating Index: Clinton remains choice of Democratic Insiders •Presidential Nominating Index: Bush remains choice of Republican Insiders •Insiders Poll: Winners and losers from the Fox News Republican Debate