2016 FactCheck: on Immigration

Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Yes, voted for a partial wall on Mexican border

• CLINTON: "I have been for border security for years; I voted for border security in the US Senate."
• TRUMP: "Hillary Clinton wanted the wall in 2006 or thereabouts."
• CLINTON: I voted for border security, and there are some limited places where [a wall] was appropriate."
• Who's right?

• Vote #235 on June 28, 2007 on S.1639, the McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill: "Establishes specified benchmarks which must be met [before comprehensive reform, including] operational control of the border with Mexico; Border Patrol increases; border barriers, including vehicle barriers, fencing, radar, and aerial vehicles.
• Vote #262 on Sept. 29, 2006 on H.R.6061, the Secure Fence Act:[including] "physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful border entry."

Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Yes, would increase Syrian refugees by 550%

Yes, the current number of resettled Syrian refugees in the U.S. is 10,000 and Hillary proposes an increase the number to 65,000, which is indeed a 550% increase.

President Obama set a limit of 10,000 Syrian refugees for 2016, which Hillary Clinton called "a good start" on a goal of 65,000, who would be admitted after a vetting process that takes 18-24 months. A group of fourteen Senate Democrats called for the 65,000 figure in mid-2015. The total number of refugees is currently about 4.5 million, most of whom reside in temporary refugee camps. About 160,000 have been permanently re-settled worldwide, including 40,000 in Germany, 40,000 in Sweden, 31,000 elsewhere in Europe, and 10,000 in the U.S. [Sources: Al Jazeera 1/28/16 and Amnesty International and Oxfam reports]

Nikki Haley: FactCheck: US does have history of religion-based exclusion

• Until 1828, Jews were disallowed from voting in Maryland.
• In 1838, all Mormons were expelled from Missouri by the Governor's order.
• The Immigration Act of 1924 restricted immigration from Southern & Eastern Europe (which are majority Catholic) in favor of Northern & Western Europe (which are majority Protestant).
• In 1939, the S.S. St. Louis, carrying 908 Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany, was denied entrance to the US.

Marco Rubio: FactCheck: No MarcoPhones, and no executive DREAMers either

As Rubio pushed immigration reform, he warned, "If nothing happens in Congress, this president will be tempted to issue an executive order like he did for the DREAM Act kids a year ago, where he basically legalizes 11 million people by the sign of a pen."

Most experts say that's an extreme scenario and would invite legal challenges as well as a political backlash. More likely is that Obama could extend deferred action to additional subsets of the undocumented population, pushing them lower on the priority list. That might be relief for them, but it's also a legal limbo that falls short of legalization. We rated Rubio's statement Mostly False.

Jeb Bush: FactCheck: Yes, immigrants are more fertile

Bush, speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference, made a pitch for immigration reform, saying America needs more new workers to help pay for retirees--"to rebuild the demographic pyramid" as he put it. "Immigrants are more fertile," Bush said. "And they love families and they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity."

Bush's words were on track, and we rate the statement Mostly True.