Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) surprised immigration observers by reversing his own recent position and coming out against a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. According to excerpts of his new book, obtained by the Huffington Post, Bush’s position is a hard “no” on citizenship, except for certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country before they were 18. He does, however, leave open the prospect that undocumented immigrants could return to their native countries and apply for a green card through revamped legal channels, a route that could eventually lead to citizenship.
From their writeup:
“It is absolutely vital to the integrity of our immigration system that actions have consequences — in this case, that those who violated the law can remain but cannot obtain the cherished fruits of citizenship,” Bush and lawyer Clint Bolick argue in a new book, Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution. “To do otherwise would signal once again that people who circumvent the system can still obtain the full benefits of American citizenship.”
