2008 Obama & Clinton on Undocumented/Illegals (Promise of The Border Security that We Need)

 

This administration, the Bush Administration, has done nothing to control the problem that we have.  We have had 5 million undocumented workers come over the borders  since George Bush took office.  It has become an extraordinary problem.  And the reason the American people are concerned is that they are seeing their own economic position slip away.  And often times employers are exploiting these undocumented workers.  They are not paying the minimum wage, they are not observing worker safety laws.  So what we have to do is create a comprehensive solution to the problem.  Now I’ve already stated that as President I will make sure that we finally have the kind of border security that we need.  That’s step number 1.  Step number 2 is to take on employers.  Right now an employer has more of a chance of getting hit by lightening than be prosecuted for hiring an undocumented worker.  That has to change.  They have to be held accountable.  And when we do those things I believe that we can take the undocumented workers, the illegal aliens, who are here, get them out of the shadows, make sure that they are subject to a stiff penalty, make sure that they are learning English, make sure that they go to the back of the line so they are not getting an advantage over people who came here legally.  And if we do all of this we can be a nation of laws and immigrants.

Obama in a presidential debate in 2008

CLINTON 2008: “So, I think we got to have tough conditions. Tell people to come out of the shadows. If they’ve committed a crime, deport them. No questions asked, they’re gone. If they — (applause) — if they’ve been working and are law-abiding, we should say here are the conditions for you staying. You have to pay a stiff fine because you came here illegally. You have to pay back taxes and you have to try to learn English and you have to wait in line. (cheers and applause)”