Kaine: Pence Is ‘Trying To Fuzz Up’ Trump’s Immigration Position

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine answers a question during the vice-presidential debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) accused Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN) at Tuesday’s vice presidential debate of “trying to fuzz up” Donald Trump’s stance on dealing with the immigrants in the United States illegally.

“When Donald Trump spoke in Phoenix, he looked the audience in the eye and he said, ‘No, we’re building a wall, and we’re deporting everybody.’ He said, quote, ‘They will all be gone. They will all be gone,'” Kaine said. “And this is one of those ones where you can just go to the tape on it and see what Donald Trump has said.”

Kaine’s comment came after a back-and-forth with Pence on whether Trump would deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

“There’s two plans on the table. Hillary and I believe in comprehensive immigration reform. Donald Trump believes in deportation nation,” Kaine said, before elaborating on the Clinton campaign’s proposal. He slammed Trump’s platform for creating “a deportation force.”

Pence responded, “Senator, we have a deportation force, it’s called Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” Then he brought up the Trump endorsement by the union for ICE employees.

Moderator Elaine Quijano pressed Pence on how the millions of undocumented immigrants would be forced to leave under a Trump presidency.

Pence rattled off Trump’s border security and enforcement proposals targeting “criminal aliens,” while dodging the question of what a Trump administration would do with nonviolent undocumented immigrants.

“That is the order you should do it. Border security, removing criminal aliens, upholding the law,” Pence said. “Then, senator, I will work with you. We will work to reform the immigration system.”

Kaine shot back: “I look forward working together in whatever capacities we serve in.”

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