Merit-based migrants: Is Donald Trump softening on illegal immigration?
Donald Trump's latest stance on immigration reform suggests that he wants a merit-based system to allow more "outstanding" individuals to remain in the country.
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks to the media during a tour of the the World Trade International Bridge at the U.S. Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, Thursday, July 23, 2015. Trump predicted Hispanics would love him, "they already do," because as president he'd grab jobs back from overseas and give more opportunity to those who live in the U.S. legally.
LM Otero/AP
鈥�, we try and work something out.鈥�
This doesn鈥檛 sound like something Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would say about illegal immigrants. But that鈥檚 exactly what he said on MSNBC鈥檚 Morning Joe Friday.
Trump proposed a 鈥渕erit system鈥� to deal with illegal immigrants in the US now, saying 鈥渟ome of these people have been here, they鈥檝e done a good job. You know, in some cases, sadly they鈥檝e been living under the shadows.鈥�
However, he hasn鈥檛 completely deviated from his earlier statements:聽鈥淏ut before we do anything, we have to secure the border,鈥� he said.
His plan is to 鈥溾�� of which there are, unfortunately, quite a few鈥� and 鈥済ive 鈥榚m back鈥� to where they come from. 鈥淲e get 鈥榚m out and get 鈥榚m out fast. And we get 鈥榚m out permanently,鈥� Trump said, according to the National Journal.
Bloomberg News noted 鈥� whether he would support a path to citizenship, which many Republicans oppose as amnesty.鈥�
Earlier in his campaign, Trump claimed illegal Mexican immigrants brought to the US.
Although Trump has spoken extensively about immigration, he has 鈥渟hed little light on for dealing with illegal immigration beyond generalizations that have often seemed far-fetched,鈥� CNN said.
He recently recommended the US聽build a wall and make Mexico pay for it.
According to The Hill, the for incendiary comments, leading Trump to consider running as an independent or third-party candidate.聽But Trump generally toes the Republican line in terms of advocating for stricter border security and rejecting amnesty.
He recently stressed he is a 鈥渃onservative鈥� and wants to run as a Republican, the National Journal reports.
Trump's latest comments echo statements made by the聽, which聽also endorsed the idea of a 鈥渕erit system [鈥 that focuses on the needs of United States employers and matches the economic and cultural attributes that each immigrant possesses to those needs鈥� in a 2012 resolution.
Last year, GOP leaders released a set of immigration principles that stated illegal immigrants 鈥� in the U.S., but only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits). Criminal aliens, gang members, and sex offenders and those who do not meet the above requirements will not be eligible for this program.鈥�
The Senate , which offered hope to millions of illegal immigrants.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona told The Associated Press, among other requirements, 鈥渢hose seeking legal status after living in the United States illegally must "pass a background check, make good on any tax liability and pay a fee and a fine."
Presidential candidate聽 of a merit-based immigration system, according to an interview he did last year with CNS.
But Senator Rubio also acknowledged the challenges associated with enforcing such an initiative:
鈥淵ou have 12 million human beings living in the United States that are here illegally [鈥 on the one hand, there is no serious effort out there that you鈥檙e going to round up 12 million people. But how do you figure out who those 12 million people are, which ones get to stay, and which ones get to leave, and those that are going to get to stay, what sort of consequences will there be for violating the law?鈥�