Rand Paul endorses path to citizenship

WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is endorsing a pathway to citizenship for the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants, a significant move for a favorite of tea party Republicans who are sometimes hostile to such an approach.

In a speech to be delivered Tuesday morning to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the potential 2016 presidential candidate declares, "If you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you." A copy of the speech was obtained in advance by The Associated Press.

Paul's path to citizenship would come with conditions that could make it long and difficult for illegal immigrants. Chief among these, Congress would have to agree first that progress was being made on border security.

Nonetheless, Paul's endorsement of allowing illegal immigrants an eventual way to become citizens puts him in line with a growing number of Republicans who are embracing action on immigration as a way to broaden the GOP's appeal to Latinos. On Monday, a Republican National Committee report called on the GOP to support comprehensive reform, though without specifying whether it should include a pathway to citizenship, which is decried by some conservatives as amnesty.

Paul's move also comes as a bipartisan group of senators is nearing agreement on sweeping legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration laws, an effort that could get a boost from Paul's stance. In an interview, Paul said he could foresee backing the Senate group's emerging bill, although he plans to try to amend it on the floor with some of his own ideas.

Paul's speech is peppered with Spanish phrases from his youth in Texas, references to his immigrant grandparents and praise for Latino culture. He says his party must adopt a new face toward Hispanics and says conservatives must be part of it.

"Immigration reform will not occur until conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation," Paul says.

"Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport" the millions already here, he says.

For Paul, there are political overtones to his newly articulated stance, since he's viewed as a potential presidential candidate and Hispanics are an increasingly important part of the electorate. Latino voters overwhelmingly backed President Barack Obama last year, helping seal his re-election, and Paul said the GOP needs to reverse that trend or risk "permanent minority status."

In his speech, Paul lays out broad elements of a comprehensive immigration overhaul that has some overlap with the approach contemplated by the Senate's bipartisan Gang of Eight, which hopes to release its legislation next month. The Senate group aims to secure the border, improve legal immigration and boost workplace enforcement, as well as create a pathway to citizenship.

Like the Senate group, Paul would aim to secure the border before illegal immigrants could begin taking steps toward citizenship, and he emphasizes this as a necessary first step to get support from conservatives.

He doesn't specify how the border would be made more secure but says the Border Patrol and an inspector general would have to sign off. Congress would also have to agree annually for five years that border security was progressing in order for the other reforms Paul envisions to keep moving forward.

In year two of his plan, illegal immigrants would begin to be issued temporary work visas, and would have to wait in line behind those already in the system before moving forward toward citizenship. A bipartisan panel would determine the number of visas per year. High-tech visas would be expanded and a special visa for entrepreneurs would be issued.

Different from other approaches, Paul would not attempt to crack down on employers by expanding working verification systems, something he says is tantamount to "forcing businesses to become policemen."

"My plan will not grant amnesty or move anyone to the front of the line," Paul says. "But what we have now is de facto amnesty."

[MSilvey12]

Why is anything about immigration reform always referred to as "broadening appeal to Latinos"? Is no one else immigrating to the US anymore? Sick and tired of all the racially motivated BS. Can't something just be about making improvements for everyone?

[dylan_89]

well since the US immigration problem is mostly illegal immigration and it being slow to become a citizen I think it has a lot to do with Latinos. Havent seen many other races as illegals

[Protect_US_Jobs]

We need to Stop ILLEGAL immigration! They're not just doing jobs that Americans don't want. Do they pay federal and state income taxes? Don't get me wrong most of these people work very hard, but are a drain on the system if they don't pay taxes, have healthcare coverage, learn the language or get paid wages that are in line with their American counterparts. Who's footing the bill for the education of their children and the infrastructure around them? We all know that the health care provided to uninsured illegals here in the states is being averaged into our hospital costs and our insurance premiums, which have PROPORTIONATELY increased along with illegal immigration over the last 20 years? These costs are also being passed along to Medicaid and Medicare, which means that not only are they increasing our insurance premiums, but that we're paying for them again with our tax dollars.

Our tax dollars and insurance premiums should not be used to recoup the cost of healthcare given to illegal immigrants, who shouldn't even be here in our country in the first place.

To the people that disagree, we should ask them should this: If a few illegal immigrants knocked on your door and demanded that you pay some medical bills for them, would you pay them?

Just look around and you'll see who's doing 90% of the residential renovations, construction and property maintenance jobs. That's certainly what we're seeing in the northeast. These are not just jobs that Americans don't want.

Unfortunately the hiring of cheap illegal labor causes a chain reaction. The contractors who hire cheap, uninsured, non-taxpaying, ILLEGAL aliens undercut the contractors who hire US Citizens or Legal immigrants. Even if the contractor wants to continue to employ US Citizens or Legal tax-paying immigrants, they end up replacing their Legal employees with illegals just to be able to get the work.

Let's get the good productive ILLEGAL Aliens into the system and paying federal and state income tax or get them out and not let more in unless they come in as Legal Immigrants. Make them apply for legal visas and or U.S. citizenship and if they don't, then get them out. If they get rejected get them out or give them one quick appeal and if they still get rejected, then get them out.

Let's send the bad ILLEGAL Aliens back to where they came in and let's put a stop to more ILLEGAL Aliens getting in.

[buzzm11]

we, the people, stand solidly against amnesty, protected legal status, or whatever else they choose to call it ... this isn't about party, this isn't about votes, and above all this isn't about race, nationality, ethnicity, color, or religion ... this is about protecting America, our sovereign nation, against an invasion by 10's of millions of illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants broke our laws when they crossed our border; or overstayed their visas. Then came document fraud, identity theft, and illegal employment. We are a nation of laws; we, the people, do not reward those who wantonly break our laws. We, the people, want our existing federal laws against illegal immigration enforced ... nothing more, nothing less ... it's as simple as that ... it really is

[OldTimeTruth]

Rand Paul words mean nothing. He is shoveling BS and he knows it. This is nothing more then a ploy to try and make the hispanics like him. The end result will be "he will turn his back on them". LOL

[luadda22]

Yeah, kind of like Obama on 5/28/08, "I cannot guarantee that it is going to be in the first 100 days. But what I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support and that I'm promoting. And I want to move that forward as quickly as possible."

He turned his back on them after they helped elect him the first time and he still "tener cojones" to go back and asked them to re-elect him again.

According to many on this site, the Republican party is full of stupid people now. Why should we need or want to add another 50 million "stupid" Hispanics?

[chatmandu7451]

We give them a green card and possible path to citizenship. They give up welfare, chain migration, birthright for babies born to non-permanent residents and "English only" as the official language.

[hypnotoad72]

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/hiring-illegal-immigrants.html

Now that wages have been depressed, make 'em legal - that way the companies get off the hook instead of having to face justice. No fuss, no muss.

[andthetruthis]

Great heads up HYPNO.

[hypnotoad72]

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/hiring-illegal-immigrants.html

[andthetruthis]

"Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport" the millions already here, he says.

WEEEE-DOGGY!!!!

I know there are some "hoppin'mad" rednecks in these United States.

Ol' Rand is being called some "choice" names.

Hey,Rand,the Country Gentleman said - "If you don't stand for something,you'll fall for everything".

[Rafterman11]

"Secure the border" is a meaningless phase that is impossible to make good on. During the cold war, the wall separating east and west Berlin was only 103 miles long and was guarded by shoot-to-kill machine guns, traps and barbed wire - yet people still got across. Meanwhile, the US border down south is 2000 miles long and can't/won't be guarded so ruthlessly. Does anyone think we can "secure the border" the way people think it can be?

"Secure the border" is nothing more than political rhetoric for the base.

[Rafterman11]

We have the border "secured" as best as its going to get, not an open bunch of fields, like in Berlin. Point is, people will always find a way.

[chatmandu7451]

Rafterman, check out the border in AZ, there are many places where you step across the border as easily as walking across the street. The border is not secure.

[vernique3]

Sen. Rand Paul states "If you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you".If you do farm labor or other corporate labor for 60 years we might grant you citizenship.