Hillary Clinton on Friday called for comprehensive amnesty reform in the United States that would give a path to citizenship to “millions” of illegal immigrants after her comments about the need for Europe to curb the migration of refugees caused backlash among left-wing activists.
“I have always been and remain a staunch advocate of comprehensive immigration reform that’s true to our values and treats every person with dignity, provides a pathway to full and equal citizenship… and brings millions of hardworking people into the formal economy, fixes the family visa backlog, upholds the rule of law, and protects our borders and national security,” she tweeted. “We passed bipartisan comprehensive reform when I was a senator, but House Republicans killed it. Since then, the GOP has refused to make progress and instead uses the issue to divide our country.”
On Thursday, The Guardian published an interview with Clinton in which she said Europe must send a “very clear message — ‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refugee and support.’”
“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message – ‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support’ – because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic,” Clinton told the left-wing outlet.
Addressing those comments, Clinton, as she usually does, tried to be on both sides of the issues with political speak.
“In a recent interview, I talked about how Europe must reject right-wing nationalism and authoritarianism, including by addressing migration with courage and compassion. I also gave a comprehensive speech about this last month,” she said. “On both sides of the Atlantic, we need reform. Not open borders, but immigration laws enforced with fairness and respect for human rights. We can’t let fear or bias force us to give up the values that have made our democracies both great and good.”
She added that since “nationalists like Hungary’s Viktor Orban are exploiting this challenge to stoke fear and resentment” in Europe, “the EU needs a more comprehensive policy that builds societies that are both secure and welcoming” so it can “defeat them and protect democracy.”
Clinton, who told Christiane Amanpour in 2014 that unaccompanied minors must be “sent back” to their home countries, also tried to satisfy her left-wing critics by attacking President Donald Trump, accusing him of making the immigration “worse with cruel abuses at the border, detaining children and separating them from their families.”
“It’s one of the most shameful moments in our history,” Clinton said.