Trump under fire for inconsistent immigration stance

Donald Trump's inconsistent stance on immigration is causing the Republican presidential candidate to face criticism from all sides.

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photo: AP

Throughout his 15-month campaign, despite wavering on many issues, Donald Trump still expressed a simple and tough stance on immigration: If elected president, he would establish a deportation force, round up people residing illegally in the US and send them back to their home countries.

That pledge has been central to his appeal to conservative voters. But now Trump appears willing to compromise.

The American billionaire has faced anger and confusion from a variety of political groups after suggesting in an interview with Fox News on August 24 that he was willing to accept some illegal immigrants living legally in the US on the condition that they pay back taxes, according to the New York Times.

Lower your voice

Trump's comments were strikingly similar to the positions of former Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican candidates he eliminated in the primaries with fierce attacks that they were too soft on immigration, commentators Maggie Haberman and Michael D. Shear noted.

Trump's latest idea also has many similarities with US President Barack Obama's approach to immigration reform, which calls for illegal residents to pay their outstanding taxes as a condition for them to be able to legally reside in the US.

The New York tycoon suggested he would only deport “bad guys” and leave law-abiding illegal immigrants in place. In November 2014, President Obama also directed the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize immigration enforcement against violent criminals and repeat illegal immigrants.

For Mr. Trump, a more moderate stance on immigration policy could help convince some undecided voters, especially white voters, that he has compassion for Hispanics and other minority communities, observers say.

"He finally realized that you can't win a national election with just white voters," said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster who worked on the Marco Rubio campaign.

But the benefits do not outweigh the risks he risks by offending millions of conservative voters who are drawn to a Donald Trump who has consistently and vehemently opposed illegal immigration.

"If Trump changes his stance on immigration or tries to redefine the amnesty program for illegal immigrants, he will lose support from his core voting base," commented Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa.

In an interview on Fox News, Trump appeared to suggest that he would leave open some path to legal residency in the United States, rather than becoming a U.S. citizen, for illegal immigrants.

"There is no citizenship. They have to pay their taxes. They have to pay their taxes. There is no amnesty program but we will work with them," he said.

Trump stressed that while his supporters want to "get rid of the bad guys," he must also listen to voters with softer views.

Vague

Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he had repeatedly turned to the audience to conduct a quick poll on immigration. Independent voters who support national immigration reform expressed confusion over the move.

"This is not a small issue. It involves 11 million people. He has reduced a serious policy test to a vote at a rally. It's an insult. It's dangerous and unprecedented," said Angie Kelley, executive director of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Trump frequently drops vague phrases suggesting policy changes and then accuses the media of misinterpreting them. His comments on Fox News were no exception, but aides say the New York tycoon has not changed his stance.

In an interview broadcast on CNN on August 25, Trump was pressed to clarify his intentions, but in the end, the American billionaire only made things more confusing when he insisted that he did not support a path that would allow illegal immigrants to legally reside in the US unless they had to leave the country first.

Experts say Republicans, regardless of their stance on immigration, will view Trump's latest statements on the issue as evidence of troubling ambiguity.

Former Governor Jeb Bush called Trump's change of heart speech "despicable" and "wrong."

Among those with hardline views on immigration, conservative author Ann Coulter, appeared to be outraged by Trump's Fox News conversation.

On the night of August 24, Coulter tweeted: "That's not 'amnesty'. That's comprehensive immigration reform!!! Trump, 'they pay taxes so it's not called amnesty'," she wrote.

Katrina Pierson, a spokeswoman for Trump, insisted to CNN that the American billionaire only changed the wording, not the immigration proposals.

Some Republican strategists say Trump waited too long to try to appeal to voters outside his white base. But pollster Ayres said the shift could help Trump win over moderate white Republicans who are resistant to the idea of ​​voting for candidates accused of running a racist campaign or portraying themselves as racist.

Many analysts say Trump may be struggling to find a way to deliver a successful message on immigration in preparation for the general election taking place this November.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center on August 9 showed that 91% of his supporters approved of the proposal to build a wall along the Mexican border, while 61% of Americans opposed the idea.

According to VNE