Here & Now

>> On immigration, what should U.S. policy be on undocumented immigrants? >>

Johnson

First we have to secure the border. We've got to show the American public that, once and for all, we're committed to securing our border for a host of reasons. Public safety. The drug wars, for example. National security, as well as, you have to have a secure border if you can stand up a legal immigration system. Once we do that-- you know, I've held multiple hearings on this. Nobody knows for sure, but somewhere between 11 and 12 million people in this country illegally. About 8. 1 million of those individuals are in the workforce contributing to their community, not creating any problems for anybody. Once we secure our border, I think we need to take a look at those individuals. Have them come forward. Admit they did something wrong. I think my guess is employers would probably pay some kind of fine. Can't have amnesty. You can't condone that type of action. But I think once we secure that border, I think we can treat those individuals with real humanity. But we also need to deport criminals. People just feeding off our welfare system. We have to have a legal system based on the principle of what is in America's best interest and the best interest of American and Wisconsin workers. >> And so, is that a pathway to citizenship? >> You know I have yet to have and this may change some day, but I've been saying this for quite some time and I've yet to have an immigrant in Wisconsin ask for citizenship. If they're involved in their community and living in the shadows, that's not good for anybody. They just don't want us deporting their mom and dad or husband and wife. And we're not going to be breaking up families. We shouldn't break up families. But granting citizenship to somebody who's broken the law, I don't think that makes any sense. Again, for somebody who has broken the law. That's somebody who's proactively themselves come in this country illegally. So I don't think they particularly want it. I don't think we should offer it. There's another way of handling this.