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One of the most divisive and debated topics in the 2016 election has been immigration. And with the Supreme Court’s announcement that it will review the legality of President Obama’s immigration plan, it looks like the issue will remain at the forefront throughout the election.
One question in particular has been hotly contested: how to handle the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. While some presidential candidates favor extending a pathway to citizenship or legal status, others have voiced support for increasing deportations.
Using data from OnTheIssues, InsideGov ranked the current presidential candidates by their stances on immigration. OnTheIssues uses a scale of -10 to 10 to score politicians, with -10 being the most liberal stance and 10 being the most conservative one. From Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to Green Party candidate Jill Stein, here are where the 2016 candidates stand on immigration, ordered from most to least conservative. In the event of a tie, candidates are listed alphabetically.
#17. Ted Cruz
Ideology Score: 10
One of the main areas where GOP frontrunners Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have clashed is immigration. In fact, Trump recently criticized the Texas senator for supporting immigration and amnesty.
But Cruz insists his primary objective is to secure the border and halt illegal immigration. Among his proposed actions are tripling the number of Border Patrol agents, implementing a biometric tracking system at ports of entry and ending sanctuary policies.
#16. Rick Santorum
Ideology Score: 10
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has supported measures to crack down on both illegal and legal immigration. Citing concerns over depressed wages, Santorum argued: “We have to make sure that we are not flooding this country with competition for low-wage workers.†He is also strongly against amnesty.
#15. Donald Trump
Ideology Score: 10
Businessman Donald Trump ignited controversy at the onset of his presidential campaign when he called Mexican immigrants “rapists†and proposed building a wall along the Mexican border.
Since then, Trump has been one of the most outspoken candidates in favor of tightening security at the border and reducing the inflow of immigrants. Trump has also outlined a plan to deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S.
#14. Ben Carson
Ideology Score: 6
Although retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is against granting citizenship to undocumented immigrants, he has voiced support for a guest worker program, in which immigrants would have a six-month period to work in the U.S.
#13. Carly Fiorina
Ideology Score: 6
Like most of the Republican candidates, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina supports tighter security at the border. But unlike Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, Fiorina has said she would support a pathway to legalization for some undocumented immigrants in the U.S. However, Fiorina would not grant citizenship.
#12. Jim Gilmore
Ideology Score: 6
The former governor of Virginia has criticized Donald Trump’s plan to deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Citing the 14th Amendment, Gilmore has argued that people born in the U.S. have a right to citizenship.
#11. Mike Huckabee
Ideology Score: 6
The former Arkansas governor has outlined his six-part immigration plan on his campaign website. Among Mike Huckabee’s proposed reforms are ending President Obama’s catch-and-release policy, denying funding to sanctuary cities and classifying Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
#10. John Kasich
Ideology Score: 6
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has stressed the importance of keeping immigrant families together and allowing the undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S. to stay if they are law-abiding.
Kasich supports stronger measures to tighten border control.
#9. Marco Rubio
Ideology Score: 6
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s views on immigration have become more conservative over time, but he still comes under fire for his stance on the issue, especially from Sen. Ted Cruz. One area in which Rubio and his GOP rivals mostly agree is the need for tighter security at the border and a stronger entry-exit tracking system.
#8. Jeb Bush
Ideology Score: -4
Although he’s considered an “establishment†candidate, Jeb Bush has gone against the grain in the Republican Party when it comes to immigration. The former Florida governor has endorsed a path to earned legal status and further argued that immigration is an important economic driver in the U.S.
#7. Chris Christie
Ideology Score: -4
Although New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has expressed his support for legal immigration, he drew heat for his plan to track immigrants like FedEx packages.
While speaking in New Hampshire, Christie stated: “I’m going to have Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, come work for the government for three months.†Christie went on to explain, “We need to have a system that tracks you from the moment you come in and then when your time is up.â€
#6. Hillary Clinton
Ideology Score: -4
Like Gov. John Kasich, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stressed the importance of keeping families together. Part of Clinton’s immigration reform strategy would be creating a pathway to citizenship for existing undocumented immigrants and closing private immigrant detention centers.
#5. Rand Paul
Ideology Score: -4
In a departure from some of his more conservative rivals, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has previously supported legal status for undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
#4. Bernie Sanders
Ideology Score: -4
Immigration is one of the areas where the Vermont senator has taken a more moderate stance among the Democratic nominees. Bernie Sanders has proposed expanding several of President Obama’s immigration policies, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA). Sanders is also committed to granting citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
#3. Gary Johnson
Ideology Score: -10
As the former governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson has dealt with immigration issues firsthand. The Libertarian presidential candidate has criticized hard-liners for their unrealistic proposals, including plans to build a wall. As Johnson stated: “Don’t build a fence; it’s an incredible waste of money.â€
#2. Martin O’Malley
Ideology Score: -10
The former Maryland governor has pledged to make immigration reform one of his top priorities if elected. Martin O’Malley proposed expanding President Obama’s immigration plan to extend citizenship to the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
#1. Jill Stein
Ideology Score: -10
The Green Party candidate has proposed some comprehensive immigration reform policies, including demilitarizing border crossings and halting deportations of law-abiding undocumented immigrants. Even more far-reaching is Jill Stein’s plan to repeal the NAFTA trade agreement.
- Beaumontenterprise.com
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