Clinton and Sanders Trade Accusation as Both Try to Disavow Previous Positions on Immigration



Screen shot 2016-02-18 at 5.33.52 PMClinton surrogate bashes Sanders for ‘newfound advocacy’ on immigration reform.” – Headline in The Hill, February 17.

Sanders Campaign Calls Clinton Immigration Criticism ‘Totally Hypocritical.’” — Headline in the Huffington Post, February 17.

Congratulations, you’re both right. Both of the leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination were concerned about the impact of illegal immigration and mass immigration on American workers, before they decided that pandering on immigration would help them with Democratic Party activists (not to be confused with rank and file voters).

In 2007, Sen. Bernie Sanders gave one of the most impassioned floor speeches opposing a sweeping amnesty and guest worker bill that was supported by leading congressional Democrats and President Bush. “What this legislation is not about is addressing the real needs of American workers … What it is about is bringing into this country over a period of years millions of low-wage temporary workers, with the result that wages and benefits in this country, which are already going down, will go down even further,” Sanders said on May 22, 2007. (Sanders subsequently supported the very similar Gang of Eight bill in 2013.)

Back in 2003, when she was a senator from New York, Clinton was not just opposed to illegal immigrants; she was “adamantly opposed to illegal immigrants.” In an appearance on a New York radio program, Clinton went on to say that “people have to stop employing illegal immigrants,” pointing out the negative impact such practices have on other workers.

When she was campaigning for the Democratic nomination in 2008, Clinton opposed granting driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, going so far as to pressure then-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer to block such an effort in her home state.

Fast forward to 2016: The self-declared Vermont socialist now supports amnesty and work authorization for virtually all illegal aliens in the U.S. and vast increases in new workers who can compete for jobs in America.

Clinton supports much the same. Now, instead of being adamantly opposed to illegal immigrants, she is blatantly exploiting them and their children in a desperate search for votes in her campaign ads.

Click on the graphic to see Where do the Presidential Hopefuls Stand on Immigration.

About Author

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Ira joined the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in 1986 with experience as a journalist, professor of journalism, special assistant to Gov. Richard Lamm (Colorado), and press secretary of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. His columns have appeared in National Review, LA Times, NY Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and more. He is an experienced TV and radio commentator.

26 Comments

  1. avatar

    I have a question for you……If these illegals, the good ones were the ones to save our country the future….their offspring…..the ones that assimilated to our way of life and culture…would you allow them to stay or you still want them out……..after they have roots in here and were abused….etc etc…..

    You don’t have to answer…….but

    yes — > you an American
    No —- > You are still an American but not the kind that built it from the 1600s and will get us in the 21st + int he future to stay…

    Don’t take it personally….it is just a fact.

  2. avatar

    By “fixing the immigration-system” what Hillary and Bernie are REALLY saying is, “let’s just go ahead and let these criminals come and go as they please”. For one thing, the immigration-system is NOT broke. The immigration laws are PURPOSELY NOT BEING ENFORCED by these Washington politicians. They are simply pandering to big-business that wants cheap-labor at the expense of the American workers. So what if millions of them end up on welfare? The tax-payers will have to pay for that, like it or not. So what if many will be drug-dealers, sex-offenders, or even murderers? The elite don’t need to worry about them moving into their fenced-in and armed -guarded neighborhoods. As long as they can **** onto power and money, they really don’t want to be bothered with doing what’s right for this country and it’s legal-citizens.

      • avatar

        Yes, I heard Sanders moan and complain after his NH win about the jobs situation, then in the next breath he says we need to legalize all these illegal immigrants–talk about pandering and “cognitive dissidence” it’s incredible has willing these political hacks are, but of course, it’s not their families and their economic situation that is in peril, particularly the Clintons, and their millions.

    • avatar

      you guys are like just air …no insult intended……EVERYBODY IS AT FAULT…….and The People the most for letting it happen…..if nobody would hired ……so The People is more powerful than Congress……..think about it…. yet you complain about the least SO…there it goes…..100% accurate and precise statement THE PEOPLE’s fault/////WE DO NOT STICK TO OUR LAWS>…..

      • avatar

        The People Haven’t Really Got a Choice on Who They Vote For in Our Two Party System [until recently]

        The billionaires picked them out for us, all supporting amnesty….then blame the voters’ choices after the election? C’mon man.

        • avatar

          Not really…….the most powerful and cheapest right not exercise to its fullest:voting………more than 50% of our population does not vote…..that is how you fix this…..again we do not stick to each other……….the whole congress can be changed in a bit if people voted 100% and cared about fixing this place by having new politicians come out…..and supporting them.which includes you guys and me…..that is simple so a fact again…we are all at fault for letting it happen…..instead of voting in people that will support the current status quo and if they do not behave as the old institution t hey r our…..sound familiar? just like corporations…..and like one will go down……unless deep changes for the better….

          • avatar

            yes I really and understood about your C’mon man….but there will chaos and losses until things clear up BUT…the vote man that is it…..being wasted…….think…..if in addition 50% of the population for instance were to vote for an independent……what would happen….the whole thing would start to change….but The People is conditioned not to change……..that is why I call my self no change reflect how we are, our current state of mind, stiff and non-visionaries as people…….non-self-initiative or drivenness….just to be facetious ….. but it is not that I am right what I say it is a fact and what it is……I never say I am right I just spell the facts and reality as per what makes things right…….not about n=me but the truthfulness of wha we stand for……a way of life….an American one…….forgotten and no longer one ,,,….established in the 1600’s with the formation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony………

          • avatar

            So SW you are correct about the billionaires setting the stage……but we are the clowns playing the circus……..sad but true…….

          • avatar

            why? because the billionaires are the audience who paid and makes the circus work the way they planned, paid for and laugh at the fat that it worked…….

          • avatar

            AND so we all talk, complain, and wast word on criticizing instead of doing something about it….”conditioned”…..

          • avatar

            so it goes beyond feeling and love for the land….but what it showed countries and powerful nations to prevail……..the ability to act and put the effort and sacrifices to do something about it to improve …..which we all lack……….unfortunately but we believe we do by giving political opinions which are basically that….only opinions…….

          • avatar

            Last why always republicans, democrats or independent…….how about the Lincoln Party that represents what the Union in essence its existence, and President Lincoln gave his life for instance…if you read history Lincoln stood by his believes unlike nowadays politicians tat flip flop….

            On the slavery issue, he made clear he wants everybody free BUT that the Union came first and he would uphold the Union regardless of slavery……….NOW that is a kick butt statement and one of the most profound ones that shaped the Union until now…….and most of you do not even know or ever realized and most Te People unaware of……

            The preservation of the Union was his first and only alliance as a way of life: A believe who’s USA is now based on and even the Europeans emulated on their current political structture.

            Once you have this in place everything comes into play…..but without it any ideals and vision in the future gone…..as a way of life……TO STICK TO ONES GUN REGARDLESS…..what Congress and the president lack off throughout since Lincoln mostly……..

          • avatar

            I am not a Lincoln’s fan or have a party……..but a real American not by name or land but a way of life……..not differently from h ones in the 1600s’..

            I only hope that our way of life will outlast all until gone on this planet “as a way of life”……so in the past we we became The Massachusetts Bay Colony”…later the United States of America …..but both have the same essence the way of life……to have the vision and the freedom…………..I see this as Lincoln saw the preservation of the Union…………..

          • avatar

            So therefore we have a land and people to love and protect at all costs……..that is where I stand and my believes are.

  3. avatar

    What a joke. Hillary now says “we have to finally and once and for all fix our immigration system.” Huh? I thought we did that with the “one time” amnesty of 1986. You know, when Hillary’s hero Ted Kennedy said the Senate would “never again” bring a similar bill to the floor. Not to mention the estimated number then of a million and a half illegals turned out to be twice that number. Just like the efforts to lowball the numbers now with cooked statistics.

    There is nothing in any of these amnesty proposals, whether 2007 or 2013, that would have emphasized enforcement on an equal basis with amnesty. They were simply plans to have a study to produce a plan sometime in the future, while amnesty was up front. There is nothing in Hillary’s “fix” that would address e-verify for jobs, visa overstays, or border control. And we would quickly find ourselves in the same position, shedding tears for those “living in the shadows”.

    She claims the money she took from Wall Street to make speeches did not mean she owed them anything. Please. She’s doing exactly what they want, which is massive increases in visa workers.

    • avatar

      Leland realistically you are wrong and she is right. Why? because everybody is saying enforce but nobody does so therefore we need to tighten the Laws and see what to do all the complexity of it. Now hopefully it is fixed for the benefit of the country long term……..By the way all I meant was…thinking like you re now has proved in since 1986…IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!

    • avatar

      Some food for thought for you…..the situation of the illegals nowadays has a parallel similarity to the slavery in the past…….I am not going to elaborate……just one thing…..you did not live in the past, and you are limited to your nowadays experiences and life style…basically compared to be a rich man next to a slave and the way they were killed abused and treated………….believe me….the sentiment back then was probably even worse……the point is when have an under privileged class We The People created….and under equal rights and compassion needs to be dealt with…

      I am not saying open the doors but we need to be accountable for our own actions to those who created the wealth for us, not ALL…..

      Last, it happened to the blacks who helped make this country a power…without any education…the illegals now do have education etc…….ANOTHER ABOUT LINCON:

      “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”

      I stand by it…example….slavery…….I don;t expect you to understand but over react and be confused and call me an open border advocate like you usually do.

      • avatar

        This mercy for those who are not a burden and were abused and taken advantage of and are not a burden to the System and already in the System……results will create richer fruits that is their success for all of us more specifically your $$SS account to keep this place afloat.

        Look what the blacks did for this country and had no education, nor personality due to slavery now imagine the good illegals which by the way are only 3 or so %……the good ones…. a rigorous application to stay…..etc etc

        For instance the Cubans own Miami…easy take no effort….yet they are here to stay…..they are lazy and in the Welfare…….the Mexican illegals….NO welfare and working and being abused for instance…….again the good ones not 100M of them of course

        I will stop here because you don’t understand these things…..

        • avatar

          Leland I have a question for you……If these illegals, the good ones were the ones to save our country the future….their offspring…..the ones that assimilated to our way of life and culture…would you allow them to stay or you still want them out……..after they have roots in here and were abused….etc etc…..

          You don’t have to answer…….but

          yes — > you an American
          No —- > You are still an American but not the kind that built it from the 1600s and will get us in the 21st + int he future to stay…

          Don’t take it personally….it is just a fact.