Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said that the GOP 2016 field is on "a
spectrum of hostility" towards immigrants, accusing Republicans of
failing to condemn Donald Trump immediately for his controversial
comments about Mexicans.
Clinton told CNN in an interview that she is
"very disappointed" in Trump's remarks, adding that the Republicans
seeking the White House are "all in the same general area on
immigration."
"They range across a spectrum of being either
grudgingly welcome or hostile towards immigrants," she said, adding that
none - including Jeb Bush - back a pathway to citizenship for the
undocumented population.
"If he did at one time, he no longer does," she said of the former Florida governor's stance on creating such a pathway.
Responding to Clinton's comments, Bush
spokesperson Emily Benavides said that Hillary Clinton "has once again
changed her position on an issue for politically expedient purposes."
"After voting for the poison pill amendment that
stopped immigration reform in its tracks as a Senator and saying she
believed the unaccompanied minors 'should be sent back' to their home
countries last year, she is now running further to the left on
immigration policy than even President Obama's White House believes is
legally feasible," Benavides said, adding that Bush supports "earned
legal status" for undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements.
During the interview, the 2016 Democratic
frontrunner emphasized that she is "100% behind comprehensive
immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship."
"I think that we know we're not going to deport
11 or 12 million people," she added. "We shouldn't be breaking up
families. We shouldn't be stopping people from having the opportunity to
be fully integrated legally within our country."
The interview was Clinton's first sit-down with a
national television network since declaring her candidacy. More of the
interview is slated to air this afternoon on CNN.
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