Donald Trump Changing His Immigration Plan?

Univision as well as Buzzfeed have come out with articles indicating that  Trump is changing his immigration plan.  Multiple news sites have now come out with articles.  A snip from the Univision article:

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump plans to present an immigration plan in Colorado Thursday that will include finding a way to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants, according to three people who attended a meeting between the candidate and Hispanic leaders on Saturday at Trump Tower in New York.

"I really liked that Trump acknowledged that there is a big problem with the 11 million [undocumented] people who are here, and that deporting them is neither possible nor humane,” said Jacob Monty, a Texas immigration lawyer who attended the meeting.

If true, Trump's plan would stand in sharp contrast to his previous statements about immigrants during the campaign. During the primaries, the New York property tycoon promised to build a wall along the border with Mexico and to deport all undocumented immigrants.

The possible reversal over immigration policy by the Republican candidate would not be without precedent after Trump has shifted his position on a variety of issues during his campaign from banning Muslims to taxes, minimum wages and and abortion.

Polls show Trump has alienated many minority voters and Republican party strategists have urged him to tone down his rhetoric about immigrants, especially Hispanics who make up a growing share of registered voters - about 10% in November.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Helen Aguirre was also present at the meeting and confirmed that the candidate is working on unveiling a plan. "Trump was very categorical in saying that he's seeking a fair immigration reform," Aguirre said. "He wants to listen to everyone and announce his conclusions in the coming days."

http://www.univision.com/univision-news/politics/trump-now-says-he-plans-to-legalize-some-undocumented-immigrants

This isn't the first time that I read that Hispanics who met with Trump say his stance has softened - I think the other time was a report a couple months ago from Univision also anonymously sourcing Hispanics who met with him (absolutely nothing happened after that report).  Obviously this is something that establishment GOP loves.  I know I have read that Kellyanne Conway has advocated for comprehensive immigration reform, but then she worked for Cruz and now Trump. so I had assumed she did so knowing his stance and accepted it.  Cruz wasn't pro-illegal immigrant either.  I don't think Steve Bannon supports comprehensive illegal immigration reform.

Come to think of it, though, have we heard Trump mention deportation in a while of all illegal immigrants?  He has mentioned the criminals, but has he mentioned everyone?  He has spoken to African Americans about illegal immigrants taking their jobs, but if these people were made legal, would it be considered that they are still taking their jobs or not because now they are legal residents (meaning the playing field is equal)?

This is what the article says:

“It doesn’t make sense to force undocumented [immigrants] to go back to their countries to regularize their situation. Trump himself mentioned a possible solution: let them do it at the embassies or consulates of their countries,” she said.

Other people present at the meeting backed that idea, explaining that the candidate said he did not like the idea of forcing undocumented immigrants to go back to their countries to regularize their immigration status, and that it would make sense to allow them to do so without leaving the United States.

Trump has said that they have to go back but can come back.  IF this article is true, it sounds like a moderation or simplification of that policy.  Here we go with a direct Trump quote:

TRUMP: We have at least 11 million people that came in illegally. They will go out. Some will come back, the best, through a process. They have to come back legally. It may not be a quick process, but I think that's fair. They're going to get in line with other people.

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Donald_Trump_Immigration.htm

The article does specify that they wouldn't be made citizens but permitted to stay.  That would allay concerns of those who are worried that it would be an amnesty that would allow future Democrat voters - not that the Democrats couldn't vote for citizenship in the future if Trump is out of office, though.  Trump himself said we would never get the votes in 2013 per the On The Issues link:

Donald Trump said the Republican party will lose elections if it reforms the nation's entitlement programs and will hand Democrats 11 million votes if Congress grants citizenship to illegal immigrants, likening the reform efforts to a "suicide mission." "The fact is 11 million people will be voting Democratic. You can be out front. You can be the spearhead. You can do whatever you want to do, but every one of those 11 million people will be voting Democratic," he said. "It is just the way it works."

"You have to be very, very careful, because you could say that to a certain extent the odds aren't looking so great for Republicans, that you are on a suicide mission," he said. "You are just not going to get those votes."

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Donald_Trump_Immigration.htm

His plan on his website has not yet changed (very in depth, so I'll just post the bullet points which are all expanded upon on the website):

~Triple the number of ICE officers.
~Nationwide e-verify.
~Mandatory return of all criminal aliens.
~Detention—not catch-and-release.
~Defund sanctuary cities.
~Enhanced penalties for overstaying a visa.
~Cooperate with local gang task forces.
~End birthright citizenship.

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform

A lot more in depth at website.

On another note, it doesn't make sense to me that Hispanic leaders are advocating for people who are here illegally just because they share an ethnicity.  If while people were coming into this country illegally over the border, I wouldn't stick up for them because they are white.  In fact there are white people who are here illegally as we know with the guy from the UK who tried to grab the cop's gun to shoot Trump.

I guess we will find out on Thursday in Colorado.  The campaign's statement has indicated there has been no change as well as some tweets by his press pool.  I will have a wait and see approach.  Whatever it is will be better than Hillary.

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