Mulvaney once touted amnesty for illegal immigrants in Spanish
Mulvaney once touted amnesty for illegal immigrants in Spanish
Robert Donachie
16 hrs ago
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President Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney once said he'd be willing to discuss giving partial amnesty to a portion of illegal immigrants and was "disappointed" more Republicans would not consider it as a pillar of immigration reform.
"I am more than willing to have a discussion about allowing at least part of the 11 million people here illegally to have some type of status," Mulvaney, a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and a former Republican House member, said in Spanish at an hourlong 2014 town hall in his South Carolina district. "Im just disappointed that more people in my party dont want to do that."
Mulvaney's district was reliant on immigrant and low-skilled labor for agricultural and economic production. Prior to the town hall, Mulvaney was receiving pressure from farmers, manufacturers, and other outside groups about the need for legal immigrants who could work low-wage jobs within the district.
Still, the comments could come under scrutiny after Mulvaney on Friday was named the acting replacement for outgoing chief of staff John Kelly. The president's choice was immediately called into question after a video surfaced of Mulvaney calling Trump a " terrible human being" days before he defeated Hillary Clinton in November 2016.
Mulvaney will now serve as the top White House staffer to a president who has repeatedly argued against "amnesty" and once publicly called for the immediate deportation outside of the judicial system of people who cross the border illegally.
"We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country. When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came," Trump tweeted in July. "Our system is a mockery to good immigration policy and Law and Order."
Mulvaney's comments also appear to conflict with a number of policies within the president's " 70-point Immigration Plan," like proposals to ensure "swift border returns" for illegal immigrants, the removal of visa overstays, and other provisions of the president's immigration platform.
The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment as to whether or not the administration is concerned about Mulvaney's 2014 statement. Mulvaney's office also chose to not respond to inquiries.
Despite some potential conflicts and past criticisms of the president, Mulvaney has become one of Trump's closest advisers in the administration and has a gained his trust. Mulvaney has served as the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget since the president took office and was the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for more than a year, until a director took office last week.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ish/ar-BBR63hE