Over two-thirds of respondents in a National Post-Election Survey said that a candidates’ position on immigration affected their vote in 2014, and the figures are likely to be similar in the upcoming presidential election. Of course, that begs the question, what are the candidates’ opinions?
That’s not always an easy question to answer — and it’s proving especially difficult when it comes to Republican forerunner Donald Trump. Trump is definitely out for shock value, jokingly describing actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell as a “fat pig, dog, slob, [and] disgusting animal” during Fox’s GOP debate and deeming international supermodel Heidi Klum “sadly, no longer a 10.”
These statements make it a bit difficult to pin down Trump’s true feelings on illegal immigration, immigration reform, and family based immigration news. Does Trump trulyem> want to build a wall along the Mexican border and demand for Mexicans to pay for it? Or are these comments in jest? While even top immigration lawyers and US immigration attorneys may have trouble getting to the bottom of it, there are a few things we do know:
That Wall Thing? It’s In An Official Paper
The whole thing might seem like a joke, but if an official paper released by Trump’s campaign is any indication, it’s not. According to CBS, the Trump team described “a three-pronged plan to combat illegal immigration and reform the legal immigration system should he make it to the White House” in the official position paper. Also in the paper, Trump says that he will raises fees and taxes on Mexican visas, should the country refuse to pay. Trump’s campaign also hinges on ending birthright citizenship and making any visa violations punishable crimes.
Trump Slightly Amends His Proposal
Since the paper’s release, Trump has changed his tone — significantly. While Trump merely conceded that “in certain sections, you have to have a wall,” he also proposed a system that may award citizenship to undocumented Americans based on merit.
If you support family based immigration, should you vote for Donald Trump? While he seems to be mulling over and reconsidering some of his more extreme plans, the answer is likely no.
