Portrait of Hillary Clinton
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Hillary Clinton on Immigration

Advocate for Reform (strong)

Hillary Clinton’s approach to Immigration has consistently favored comprehensive reform, a stance she maintained throughout her high-profile political career, particularly during her 2016 presidential bid.

She argued that the existing system needed fixing, and this reform must include a pathway to full and equal citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants already contributing to the economy. Clinton frequently stressed treating these individuals with dignity and respect, contrasting this view with rhetoric she characterized as demonizing.

Furthermore, her position included defending executive actions like DACA and DAPA, and promising to go further by establishing systems for parents of DREAMers to gain deferred action if Congress failed to act. She also pledged to improve the enforcement process to be more humane and targeted, focusing on public safety threats while ensuring fair asylum consideration for refugees.

Timeline

  1. As a Senator, Hillary Clinton was one of only two co-sponsors of Senator Kennedy's original comprehensive reform legislation.
  2. As a presidential candidate, Clinton committed to working with Congress to introduce a comprehensive immigration reform bill within her first 100 days in office.
  3. Hillary Clinton spoke at the National Immigrant Integration Conference, outlining her commitment to passing comprehensive reform with a path to citizenship.
  4. Clinton pledged to address immigration reform featuring a pathway to citizenship within her first 100 days in office.
  5. In a published interview, Clinton discussed the human cost and economic benefits related to the 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Comparison

  • Compared to Republicans (2015-2016): Clinton explicitly positioned herself against the Republican Party's approach, which she characterized as 'demonizing' immigrants, emphasizing her vision of America as a nation built by immigrants.
  • Compared to Obama's Executive Actions: While defending President Obama's DACA and DAPA, Clinton indicated she would go a step further, supporting a system to consider parents of DREAMers for deferred action even if Congress failed to act.