Rubio wants law-abiding immigrants to remain in US

Republican presidential candidate nominee Senator Marco Rubio says that immigrants who obey the law should be allowed to stay in the United States, but that felons should be deported. The Florida senator made the comments on Sunday during an appearance on the NBC show Meet the Press, hosted by Chuck Todd.

Rubio commented that “we are not going to be able to do anything on people here illegally until we first prove to people that illegal immigration is under control and America is safe.” He also defended his track record on the issue of immigration, with some critics having accused him of ‘flip-flopping’ on his position. “If circumstances change or you learn something along the way, it’s reasonable to believe say, ‘Maybe a different approach will work better’. So for example, on immigration it is clear no comprehensive solution to immigration is going to pass.”

Rubio did not just defend himself but also took the time to take a potshot at rival Republican presidential candidate nominee Senator Ted Cruz, who he says has been telling everyone that he is the only candidate running for the nomination to have been consistently conservative. Rubio says that Cruz has regularly changed his position throughout his career, often depending on his audience.

Rubio reiterated that a “reasonable solution” should be found for undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for many years and committed no crime, but that criminal aliens should not be allowed to stay.