In a notable shift for Republicans on immigration reform, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said on Tuesday that he would support legal residence and an eventual path to citizenship for the nation’s young undocumented immigrants.
“A good place to start is with the kids,” Cantor said during what was billed as a major policy address at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. “One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children and who know no other home.”
Cantor added: “I’m pleased that many of my colleagues in both chambers of Congress on both sides of the aisle have begun work in good faith to address these issues. And I’m pleased these discussions make border security, employment verification and creating a workable guest worker program an immediate priority. It’s the right thing to do for our families, for our security, and for our economy.”
