The Huffington Post: on Immigration

Alberto Gonzales: Grandparents came from Mexico, illegally, for American dream

Gonzales’s story contrasts with the right-wing rhetoric protesting illegal--and often legal--immigration.

Bill Richardson: We pay for immigrant healthcare; have them pay into system

A: Well, today, we’re already paying for undocumented workers when they go into emergency rooms. It’s the law. Under my plan, what you would do is everybody that pays into the system would be covered. Now, what we need is comprehensive immigration reform, which the Congress and the president refuse to do, which would set the appropriate standards for health care. On immigration, what we need to do is secure the border, & secondly, those that knowingly hire illegal workers should be punished. Third, there has got to be a stronger relationship with Mexico so that they don’t send their poor to our country. And lastly, an earned legalization process where you establish those standards. Like, you don’t give them amnesty, you don’t give them automatic citizenship, but if they learn English, if they pay back taxes, embrace American values, pass a background check, they can stay and eventually apply for citizenship.

Bill Richardson: Increase H-1B visas to permit more skilled workers

A: Yes. That means H-1B visas, that means looking for workers in this country that we need in certain sectors. This mean focusing not just on illegal immigration, but legal immigration. There’s a huge backlog of enormously talented people and workers that, because of red tape and bureaucracy, can’t get in, especially in the computer sector, especially in health-care areas. Yes, I would. Those H-1B visas, I believe, need to be increased to permit more skilled workers to come into our work force. This enhances our competitiveness.

Q: What have you learned about education as governor?

A: What I’ve learned is that I am hands-on. I have hands-on experiences that a lot of these other candidates don’t. They all have their 10-point plans. I’ve actually done a lot of good things in education that involves helping a child and making us more competitive.

Colin Powell: Opposes policy of separating migrant mothers and children

"They can't believe that we're making such an effort to cease immigration coming into the country. It's what's kept us alive," he said. "How can we be walking away from this model?"

Darrell Castle: Libertarians favor open borders; Constitutionalists don't

A: We differ on the subject of abortion. Our party is firmly against it. Their probable candidate, Gary Johnson, has said that he's in favor of it. Most of the time, Libertarians take an open borders position and I don't. I take a secure borders position.

Donald Trump: Melania's parents & Trump's grandparents did chain migration

The first lady's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, became American citizens this week thanks to the program. Trump's own grandfather, Friedrich Trump of Germany, and his Scottish-born mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, followed their siblings into this country.

"Calling this 'chain migration' is really outside of the ethos of what was intended," Wildes said. "This whole notion of chain migration is actually a beautiful bedrock of immigration law and policy called family reunification." The host played clips of the president calling chain migration "horrible, horrible," and a "disaster." "You bring one person in, and you end up with 32 people," the president said in one of the clips. "We have to end chain migration."

Elizabeth Warren: Bring people out of shadow economy & help social security

Jon Huntsman: Vetoed repeal of college tuition for illegal immigrants

Neither measure passed the Legislature during his time in office; the tuition law was passed two years before he came into office, and civil unions have never been seriously debated.

Martin Luther King: Anyone living in US can't be an outsider within its bounds