Politics

Krauthammer gives ‘deeply flawed’ Rubio immigration plan his blessing

Vince Coglianese Editorial Director
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Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer is begrudgingly getting behind Sen. Marco Rubio’s immigration plan, calling the decision to back the Florida Republican’s plan over President Obama’s “straightforward.”

In his weekly column, Krauthammer explained his reasoning.

“[O]n the single most important issue — instant amnesty — there is no real difference between the proposals,” he writes. “Rubio calls it ‘probationary legal status.’ Obama uses the term ‘lawful prospective immigrant.’ But both would instantly legalize the 11 million illegal immigrants living here today.”

Krauthammer argued that although the differences are marginal, Rubio “at least makes enforcement [of current immigration law] the trigger for any normalization beyond legalization.”

Converserly, Krauthammer wrote, Obama’s — recently leaked — plan would create no incentive to enforce current immigration laws, since a 13-year path to citizenship would start the moment Obama signs it into law.

Krauthammer wrote that although Rubio’s proposal is “deeply flawed and highly imperfect,” “the choice between the two proposals on the table today is straightforward.”

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