On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” while discussing recent comments about the “softening” of the immigration policy of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said “the softening is more approach than policy.”
Partial transcript as follows:
WALLACE: Kellyanne, please clear this up for me. Is Donald Trump saying that if someone has come into this country illegally — so they broke the law, but they’ve broken no laws since then, been in the country for 10 years, 20 years, without breaking any other laws — is he still going deport them, or is he going to let them stay?
CONWAY: So, what he’s said is very consistent, Chris. Number one — and this is important — the signature piece of his legislation has, and his campaign, has always been build the wall. That has not changed. Build the wall. No amnesty. No citizenship. No more sanctuary city. You know, the face of our campaign are people like Michelle and Julie and Laura and Agnes, these angel moms who stood with Donald Trump in different forms just this week, Chris, talking about their grievous losses, the loss of their children, all of whom were murdered by immigrants who should not have been there. That’s also part of Donald Trump’s plan.
WALLACE: But, Kellyanne, if I may —
CONWAY: Those who’ve committed, a crime, they’re out of here.
WALLACE: If I may respectfully, he said in the campaign and said it on the debate stage — I was there as one of the moderators — “I’m going to set up a deportation force, and all 11 million people who have come here illegally have to go.” Do they, or don’t they?
CONWAY: And what he’s said now is that he will look at that. But he wants to look — the softening is more approach than policy, Chris, because we — did you — in the clip that you played, you heard the words that followed it, that we need a fair and humane way of addressing the fact that 11 million — or we don’t know the number — 11 million or so as estimated illegal immigrants live among us. He wants to find a fair and humane way. And if you enforce the law and you deal with those agencies that already exist to enforce the law, then we’ll see what we’ve got. I mean, nobody bothers to enforce the law. They keep — Washington always layers new laws on top of laws that don’t work or unenforced to pretend to the American people that they’re somehow being active on an issue. But I think it’s important to look at the five, six, seven main tenets in his overall —
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: I understand, though, and I think you made them clear. I just want to be clear, though. What you seem to be saying is, you’re leaving the door open that President Trump would consider the possibility of giving people who have not committed more crimes to living in this country legally.
CONWAY: What he has said is no legalization and no amnesty. He also said this week, Chris, that if you go back to your home country and if you’d like it come back to the United States as an immigrant, you need apply through the many different channels that allow people to apply for citizenship or entry into the United States legally. And so, that’s important. We all learned in kindergarten to stand in line, to wait our turn. He is saying that, as well. Now, the deportation force, I would like to address that. He hasn’t mentioned that since last November. So, I think in a few of the debates as you point out. And if you look at his convention speech last month, he’s consistent on that now in terms of addressing these many different areas of a very complex issue. But I would really implore the viewers, Chris, and others to look at the contrast between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on immigration. There are very few issues where they’re more different. In fact, Hillary Clinton is to the left of Barack Obama on immigration. She has been critical of President Obama deporting what’s close to two million or more in some estimates, immigrants, in this country. She says she will use executive amnesty. She’s for catch and release. She’s for the sanctuary cities that harbor illegal immigrants. In the case of Kate Steinle, the man who murdered her right in front of her father over a year ago, Chris, he had been deported five times. Why is he here? So, everybody needs to be — everything needs to be examined and looked upon. But give Donald Trump credit for at least trying to address a complex issue and not pretending like Hillary Clinton does that we don’t have these problems.
(h/t Washington Times)
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