Colin Powell: I Don't Hire Undocumented Workers
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has clarified in a statement that he does not hire illegal immigrants to do repairs on his home.
On NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Powell remarked that there are millions of illegal immigrants in the United States "who are working, who are doing things we need done in this country."
He continued, "They're all over at my house doing things whenever I call for repairs, and I'm sure you've seen them at, at your house."
More broadly, Powell was arguing that immigrants play an important role in American society. The Associated Press, however, highlighted his claim that illegal immigrants do repairs on his house.
In a statement, Powell said, "I don't hire illegal immigrants."
"I was referring to the many service contractors who work in my neighborhood, using mostly immigrant workers, who do good work," Powell said. "Some may well be 'illegal.' There are 11 million illegal immigrants in this country and most are working somewhere in our economy."
Powell also said Sunday that Congress should pass the DREAM Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented young people who came to the United States as minors and attended college or joined the military. The Senate is voting on the measure this afternoon as part of a defense authorization bill.
"We've got to invest in education," he said. "We should use the DREAM Act as one way to do it."
