Khanna: ‘Everyone Wants to Come’ Here, So Biden’s Path to Citizenship Won’t Be Pull Factor

On Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) responded to criticisms that President Joe Biden’s new protections for some people in the U.S. illegally will incentivize people to come to the U.S. illegally by stating that “everyone wants to come to the United States of America. There are a lot of pull factors, our great economy, our great education. I think it’s absurd to say that giving a path to citizenship for people who are spouses of American citizens and have been here for ten years is going to add to that.”

Co-host John Berman asked, “Now, there are Republicans, like John Thune of South Dakota, I was listening to John Cornyn of Texas, U.S. Senators, Republican Senators who say that this will be what they call a pull factor for undocumented immigrants to come to the U.S. In other words, it will make them think it’s more attractive to come here illegally. What do you say to that?”

Khanna answered, “Well, as the son of an immigrant, I’ll say, look, everyone wants to come to the United States of America. There are a lot of pull factors, our great economy, our great education. I think it’s absurd to say that giving a path to citizenship for people who are spouses of American citizens and have been here for ten years is going to add to that. This is a rational policy of getting people who are spouses of American citizens part of the American process and paying taxes and contributing to American society.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett