Florida Sen. Marco Rubio laid out his plan Tuesday night for how to handle 12 million immigrants illegally in the U.S., a strategy he said is “not a majority position” in the Republican party.
Rubio said his plan would allow people who have been in the country for more than 12 years to apply for a work permit if they meet certain criteria, according to an interview with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren.
They would have to pass a background check, possess a clean record and learn or begin to learn English.
“You will be charged a fine, you will be fined for violating our laws. You will have to start paying taxes, meaning you have to be gainfully employed,” Rubio said.
Recipients would receive a work permit, but would not be granted legal status for another 10 years after receiving it. Then, more than 22 years after the individual initially entered the country illegally, Rubio said he would be open to allowing individuals to apply for a green card.
The Florida senator, ranked third in the Washington Examiner’s presidential power rankings, has been the only GOP candidate to answer Van Susteren’s question about handling millions of people illegally in the country.
In recent interviews with N.J. Gov. Chris Christie and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both Republicans only emphasized securing the border and did not address how they would deal with illegal immigrants.
