msnbc | February 12, 2013
Making immigration reform comprehensive
Mayor Julian Castro, D-San Antonio, talks about three specific points needed to ensure immigration reform will work: security of borders, employers hiring legal immigrants, and the ability to put undocumented immigrants on a pathway to citizenship. Castro reiterates that he believes immigration reform “will get done” and if the GOP isn’t cooperative, they will be defeated in all upcoming elections.
Share This:
msnbc
-
Obama issues a ‘call to action’ in Berlin speech
The Daily Rundown
June 19, 2013 -
Medical group now considers obesity a disease requiring treatment
Morning Joe
June 19, 2013 -
Obama visits Berlin 50 years after JFK and lessons from the G-8
Morning Joe
June 19, 2013 -
Gitmo vs. food stamps: GOP hypocrisy exposed
The Last Word
June 18, 2013 -
GOP brings anti-science perspectives to war on women
The Rachel Maddow Show
June 18, 2013 -
Sister Helen Prejean on her influential activism against the death penalty
The Rachel Maddow Show
June 18, 2013 -
House passes most restrictive abortion bill in 10 years
The Last Word
June 18, 2013 -
Michael Hastings, fearless
The Rachel Maddow Show
June 18, 2013 -
House Republicans take another stab at limiting abortion rights, succeed
All In
June 18, 2013 -
Republicans want to cut $20 billion from food stamps
All In
June 18, 2013 -
Bank of America employee: 'We were told to lie'
All In
June 18, 2013 -
Affidavits detail art of lying to struggling homeowners by B of A employees
All In
June 18, 2013
This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.
>> joining us from san antonio , texas, the mayor of san antonio . mayor castro, thank you for joining us.
>> let me ask you about the word comprehensive. we have all been if through watching the attempt by the government to reform immigration back in the '80s under reagan. what stopped it from being affected is that it was never enforced. it really wasn't given any credit. when we say the phrase, comprehensive, what does that mean to you?
>> what it means is that it has at least three things, first, that it will continue to enhance the security of our borders, even though as president obama has pointed out, that has been enhanced tremendously over the past few years. secondly, when an employer hire someone, they can no that person is here legally. they will be held accountable. fired, and this is the part of that is at issue here, that we do something positive to put the 11 million folks who are undocumented on a pathway to citizenship after they have paid a fine, paid back taxes, learned english and gone to the back of the line.
>> what will be the toughest part of that to win?
>> oh, there's no question the toughest part is the issue of a pathway to citizenship. unfortunately it seems as though what some of the house republicans want is to create a permanent subclass of folks who would not be citizens, maybe not even lawful, permanent residents . i thought that the ending of president obama 's speech in calling the country together but also using the word citizen and saying that is what we are made of and we are, that has a lot of resonance as debate comprehensive reform.
>> those opposing a full pass way to citizenship, they don't like voting?
>> well probably some of the folks who are absolutely opposed to citizenship, that's at the top of their mind, sure. i agree with that.
>> what is your bet right now? based on what the president said tonight i think we will have less troops in afghanistan. that will be real. he is completely in charge of that. immigration looks to me like a great prospect for this year, the great hope. republicans want the issue behind them because it has hurt them at the polls. tissues -- democrats believe in the issue. the unions, i have never understood their position on this. do you think it will ever get done?
>> i believe that it will get done. i believe that the republican party knows that if it doesn't get done that what they saw in 2012 will happen again in 2014 , 2016 and beyond that. as i said last week when i testified in front of the house judiciary committee , america is watching these legislators on this boat.
>> thank you very much, mayor castro, from san antonio .