At a press conference today in Virginia, Ben Carson explained his plans to secure the border and deal with the illegals already in the country.
In short he is for a 6-month window for illegals to register. He notes that if they have a ‘pristine record’ they can become guest workers, but he emphasized that doesn’t give them the right to vote nor does it make them citizens. If they refuse to register, then they become criminals and will be treated as such.
If they want to become citizens, Carson says they have to leave the country and re-enter legally and apply for citizenship like everyone else.
Watch:
Did you catch the caveat on citizenship?
“Unless the American people indicate that they want a different course than that.”
So he’s open to other possibilities for illegals becoming citizens? That doesn’t sound very principled and it sounds like a lot of wiggle room, which means to me that all he is saying now on this could completely change if the decides that the ‘American people’ want something else.
Honestly, if that’s what he’s going with, then he’s playing right into the hands of Democrats who will tell him what they think the American people want and between them and the media he will be pressured to agree.
What he needs to do is take a specific stand and let the American people decide whether or not they like his plans at the voting booth. That’s how it is supposed to work.