Senate

Cotton rips Hillary Clinton over immigration

by Jordain Carney - 03/14/16 5:30 PM ET

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) slammed Hillary Clinton on immigration Monday, suggesting she’s shifted her policy to try to win over voters.

“I… can’t imagine a more opportunist and irresponsible position than the one taken by Hillary Clinton, as she panders for votes, she limited deportation priorities to violent criminals and terrorists,” Cotton said from the Senate floor.

{mosads}His comments come after Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, battled with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over immigration during last week’s debate in Miami.

Pressed on whether or not she would deport children that were already in the country, she said, “I would not deport children. I do not want to deport family members either.”

Cotton suggested her comments were at contrast with remarks she made in 2014, when she told CNN that the U.S. government should “send a clear message, just because your child gets across the border, that doesn’t mean the child gets to stay.”

At the time, she was talking about a wave of undocumented minors coming from Central America and suggesting that parents must be warned against sending children on a “dangerous journey.”

But Cotton added that “we’ve come to expect such opportunism from the House of Clinton” and that last week’s remarks will bolster attempts by families to send their children into the United States illegally.

“The coming Clinton wave of illegal immigration will only make it harder to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and get immigration under control and working for Americans,” he said.

Clinton tried to distance herself from the Obama administration during last week’s debate. When it comes to undocumented immigrants currently in the country, she added that “my priorities are to deport violent criminals, terrorists, and anyone who threatens our safety.”

Cotton, however, suggested that meant Clinton would welcome illegal immigrants convicted of non-violent crimes “with open arms.”

Tags Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton Tom Cotton