Jake Tapper struggled to draw a clear answer Sunday from former Rep. Beto O’Rourke about a proposed repeal of federal immigration law.
Referencing Julián Castro’s proposal to repeal the law that makes illegally crossing the U.S. border a federal crime, Tapper asked O’Rourke if he agreed with the former housing secretary.
“I don’t know if it should be repealed, Jake,” O’Rourke said after a long pause. “But we should acknowledge most of those arriving at the border now, especially from central America, are at their most desperate and vulnerable moment. They pose no threat or harm to this country. And we proposed a family case management program so that they are not held in detention, at a fraction of the cost and at an improved rate of showing for their court date or their appointments with ICE officials. We help them to follow our own laws and we treat them like the human beings they are.”
O’Rourke maintained that kids should not be caged, families should not be separated, and migrants should not be expected to remain in Mexico, but Tapper continued to press him for “a straight answer.”
“It sounds to me like you think that the law that makes it a crime to be in this country illegally, it sounds like you think that that should stay the law?” Tapper asked.
After another pause, O’Rourke said, “I think what I’m saying is that in the vast majority of cases, there is no need to incarcerate or to detain migrant families and especially children.”
“But you disagree with Julián Castro? You don’t think it should be repealed?” Tapper asked yet again.
“Yeah, I’ve answered the question. I do not think it should be repealed,” O’Rourke finally said, before reiterating what he said previously.
