Jeb Bush presidential campaign, 2016/Immigration

	; ; Former presidential candidate; Jeb Bush
	Political offices: ; Former governor of Florida; (1999-2007)
	Bush on the issues:
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	Republican candidate:
	Donald Trump
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Jeb Bush suspended his presidential campaign on February 20, 2016.^[1]

This page was current as of the 2016 election.

At the fourth Republican primary debate November 10, 2015, Jeb Bush said he opposed the mass deportation of those in the U.S. without documentation. He said, "Twelve million illegal immigrants, to send them back, 500,000 a month, is just not -- not possible. And it's not embracing American values. And it would tear communities apart. And it would send a signal that we're not the kind of country that I know America is. And even having this conversation sends a powerful signal -- they're doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign right now when they hear this. That's the problem with this. We have to win the presidency. And the way you win the presidency is to have practical plans. Lay them out there. What we need to do is allow people to earn legal status where they pay a fine, where they work, where they don't commit crimes, where they learn English, and over an extended period of time, they earn legal status. That's the path -- a proper path."^[2]

Jeb Bush said on September 22, 2015, that America “should not have a multicultural society,” calling it “the wrong approach.” He explained, “America is so much better than every other country because of the values that people share – it defines our national identity. Not race or ethnicity, not where you come from. When you create pockets of isolation – and in some cases the assimilation process is retarded because it's slowed down – it's wrong. It limits people's' aspirations."^[3]

Bush expressed his opposition to ending birthright citizenship on August 18, 2015. “This is a constitutionally protected right, and I don't support revoking it,” Bush said.^[4]

On August 19, 2015, Bush said, “If there’s abuse, if people are bringing — pregnant women are coming in to have babies simply because they can do it, then there ought to be greater enforcement. That’s [the] legitimate side of this. Better enforcement so that you don’t have these, you know, ‘anchor babies’, as they’re described, coming into the country."^[5]

Bush stood by his use of the term “anchor babies” on August 20, 2015, while taking questions from the press in New Hampshire. When asked if he regretted using the term, Bush responded, "No, do you have a better term? OK, you give me, you give me a better term and I'll use it. I'm serious."^[6]

On August 24, 2015, Bush suggested his use of the term “anchor babies” primarily referred to Asian parents who engaged in birth tourism. “What I was talking about was the specific case of fraud being committed where there is organized efforts — and frankly it’s more related to Asian people — coming into our country, having children in that organized effort, taking advantage of a noble concept, which is birthright citizenship,” Bush said.^[7]

Jeb Bush released the details of his immigration policy on his campaign website in August 2015. To address border security issues, Bush called for “creating more forward-operating bases” closer to the border, using advanced counter-surveillance technology and improving border infrastructure with road construction and maintenance. For interior enforcement, Bush recommended requiring electronic verification of employment eligibility, adequately tracking and deporting immigrants overstaying their visas, and withholding federal funding for sanctuary cities.^[8]

During an interview in April 2014, Bush commented on immigrants who entered the United States illegally. He said, "Yes, they broke the law, but it's not a felony. It's an act of love, it's an act of commitment to your family."^[9]

In March 2013, Bush said, “There has to be some difference between people who come here legally and illegally. It's just a matter of common sense and a matter of the rule of law. If we're not going to apply the law fairly and consistently, then we're going to have another wave of illegal immigrants coming into the country.”^[10]

CANDIDATE SUMMARY
Bush opposed DACA and DAPA.
He advocated for fixing the immigration system through the legislative branch, rather than the executive branch.

Breitbart reported on April 21, 2015, that Jeb Bush said on the Michael Medved Show that he would revoke the DACA and DAPA programs if elected. Bush criticized the president for giving millions of people temporary status via the executive branch. Bush said, “I think the better answer is to fix the immigration problem, is to solve it the way — the regular order way, which is to go to Congress, have a proposal, work on a bipartisan fashion to fix a broken immigration system.”^[11]

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