Ben Carson Talks Immigration At Iowa Summit, Next President Should ‘Seal The Border’ In First 12 Months


Ben Carson told a conservative crowd in Iowa on Saturday that the next president must focus on stopping illegal immigrants from entering the U.S. Whoever wins the White House needs to commit to sealing the borders within their first year in office.

Speaking on the subject of immigration, Ben Carson told GOP supporters there are laws already on the books to take care of the U.S.’s immigration problem, reports the Daily Caller.

“You know, we have laws in place. Common sense works great. We already have laws that demonstrate how a person can become an American citizen. We don’t have to re-litigate that. If we do re-litigate it, it needs to be done by the proper branch of government, which is Congress. It is not by the president. It is not by the Supreme Court.”

The retired neurosurgeon said illegal immigrants would not be entering the U.S. if there were not “a magnet drawing them in.” One way to stop the flow, Carson maintained, was for the government to crack down on companies who hire illegal immigrants.

According to Politico, Carson later said, however, that undocumented immigrants should not have to “hide in the shadows,” and suggested the U.S. adopt an undocumented worker program similar to what is in Canada.

Dr. Carson also touched on Obamacare during his speech Saturday, telling attendees, “Even if it worked, I would oppose it,” but maintains the program, in fact, does not work. Carson also does not believe in the government’s intrusion in health care.

“I don’t believe in taking the most important thing a person has, which is their health and their health care, and putting it in the hands of the government.”

Ben Carson spoke at the Iowa Freedom Summit on Saturday, alongside potential 2016 presidential contenders, including Chris Christie and Scott Walker. Representative Steve King of Iowa and the group Citizens United hosted the Summit.

Carson has hinted at a 2016 presidential run for quite some time, but when asked if he has made a decision on whether or not he intends to throw his hat into the ring, Carson did not give a definitive answer. He told the Daily Caller, however, he is still considering it.

“I have a surgical personality which means you have to dot a lot of I’s and cross a lot of T’s. And make sure you have a good infrastructure. And we’re in the process of doing all those things.”

[Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore]

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