http://www.ibtimes.com/ben-carson-im...-farms-2100452

Ben Carson Immigration Reform: Let Undocumented Immigrants Work On Farms

By Michael Kaplan @michaeld_kaplan m.kaplan@ibtimes.com on September 16 2015 9:58 PM EDT

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson defended his immigration plan during Wednesday night's Republican debate, but his explanation only got him into further trouble with some voters. Carson supports giving guest-worker status to millions of undocumented immigrants without criminal records.

"After we seal the borders, after we turn off the spigot that dispenses all the goodies...people who had a pristine record we should consider allowing them to become guest workers primarily in the agricultural sphere," Carson said. "If they don't do it within that time period then they become illegal and as illegals they will be treated as such," he said.

Carson said his plan is not amnesty because farmers cannot find American workers, which prompted criticism from some social media users who perceived the remark as suggesting immigrants can only do farm work.

Carson has edged closer to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in recent weeks. A recent poll found support for Carson has jumped to 23 percent, up significantly from the six percentage points Carson had before the first presidential debate in August. That puts Carson at just about 4 points below Trump.