Ronald Reagan junior has criticized the Republican party’s stance on immigration and accused them of using it as a wedge issue.
Speaking on Tuesday’s MSNBC’s Hardball the son of former president Ronald Reagan said that that Mitt Romney “was more specific during the primaries. He was for self-deportation: he was for making it so miserable for immigrants in this country that they would simply leave the country.”
The problem he suggested is that the entire GOP is being vague regarding Obama’s new executive order on undocumented immigrants.
"If you knew what they were really all about, nobody would vote for them," Reagan told Chris Matthews on MSNBC.
"The Republican Party uses immigration as a wedge issue, for instance; but they know full well that if they were to actually deport all 12 million or so illegal immigrants in this country, that various industries like agriculture would simply collapse."
In 1986 Ronald Reagan introduced a sweeping immigration reform bill announcing that any illegal immigrant who entered the country before 1982 was eligible for amnesty. The controversial law granted amnesty to nearly 3 million illegal immigrants.
"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally," Ronald Reagan said in 1984.
Peter Robinson, a former Reagan speechwriter, told NPR. “It was in Ronald Reagan's bones — it was part of his understanding of America — that the country was fundamentally open to those who wanted to join us here.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.BrianO | Jun 30, 2012, 12:54 AM EDT
Now sheriff joe should start collecting the healthcare tax on the illegal invaders since none of them have insurance. I gues there is a silver lining to every black cloud.
seanomelb | Jun 28, 2012, 11:05 PM EDT
Sheriff Joe may end up in a federal prison for his lawbreaking and the sooner the better.
allentown | Jun 28, 2012, 10:45 PM EDT
Don't you just love Ron Reagan Junior and the posters on this topic who believe the victim is the illegal alien and not the unemployed American Worker whose job they took and the American worker who wages they supressed. If you listen to Reagan Junior Romney is heartless, because he wants the illegal aliens to voluntary deport themselves, so jobs will be available for American workers.
TheOldPerfessor | Jun 28, 2012, 06:20 PM EDT
Murph46: People like Sheriff Joe have the discretion to enforce the laws they choose to enforce. It appears that he just doesn't have much enthusiasm for arresting people who contributed to his campaign.
PiperMac52 | Jun 28, 2012, 05:42 PM EDT
Wedge issue? Blarney! Immigration has been a sore subject among politicians of both parties but the American public overwhelmingly have pushed for real reform. Our government punishes SW states like Arizona, which is virtually under siege, for doing the job they refuse to do. This immigration debacle(estimated 12-20 million already here)is costing taxpayers billions in social programs and fraudulent tax claims at a time when unemployment is realistically around 15% when you count those no longer on the rolls or who have given up looking for work. Insane!
EphraimKibbey | Jun 28, 2012, 04:30 PM EDT
The point that Ron Reagan is making is that the National GOP are hypocrites on this issue. They have lots of WORDS about fences, self-deportation and papers please, but they are beholden to big business for their election finance and will vote the way of the money not the way of their base-soothing retoric. Graham actually told Obama to stop talking to GOP members about a comprehensive immigration law because they would not work with HIM on it. NO SOUP FOR YOU!(Seinfeld) Obama is deporting many more illegals than W. did in his 8 years. More illegals are going back than are coming our way under Obama ala self-deportation and drones on the border. In the states where they have increased their laws, businesses and consumers have been the losers as illegals moved out and Americans refused to take the jobs they left. A guest worker program would solve the problem but the GOP won't even talk about it.
Seanmor | Jun 28, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT
President Reagan's amnesty rewarded 3 million illegal aliens for violating U.S. laws by entering the country illegally and unlawfully living here. This amnesty plan is largerly resp;onsible for the 12 million illegals who are now residing here in violation of our laws. If these 12 million law-breakers are handsomely rewarded with amnesty and easy citizenship, that will give the GREEN LIGHT to at least another 50 million to come here illegally, knowing that they too are likely to be rewarded in the future for their lawlessness. No, I'm NOT anti-immigrant. I arrived in NYC as a LEGAL resident in my teens, and after honorably serving 4 years in the Marine Corps (sr # 1884876), I was thoroughly investigated before being naturalized. U.S. immgration laws should apply equally to eqeryone. I ask God to bless America, and everyone to obey her laws.
seanomelb | Jun 28, 2012, 01:53 PM EDT
A republican with common sense and dignity,if Ronald was alive today he would be a good Dem or liberal GOP.He would not tolerate the fascist teaparty types in the GOP.
Murph46 | Jun 28, 2012, 01:19 PM EDT
Perfessor,just where are they going to get the money for such stings,certainly not from the federal govt.who has chosen not to enforce existing immigration laws (to court the Latino vote)
TheOldPerfessor | Jun 28, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT
The Republican immigration stance is a complete farce. If they seriously wanted to stop this they would set up stings to arrest rich people who knowingly hire illegal workers because they are too cheap to pay a living wage to Americans. That is what brings the workers here. That is what keeps them here. Republicans are famous for arresting the pawns while inviting the Kings and Queens to the governor's ball.
francisquinn | Jun 28, 2012, 09:42 AM EDT
Who cares what Junior thinks....He is a shadow of his Father....I think he has a inferiority complex so he disagrees with everything his Father fought for.....