In 2008, Hillary Clinton wavered on the issue of immigration. Asked about an initiative to offer drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants in her home state, Clinton responded with several half-answers:
In a later debate with Barack Obama, she clarified that she was against allowing illegal immigrants to obtain drivers’ licenses, and wanted immigration reform in the future. She was, on that issue at least, to the right of Obama.
And now? Not so much. At the Democratic National Convention last night, illegal immigrants told the crowd that Clinton’s policies would “take the weight off their shoulders.” Evidently, immigration law is a fearful specter that Hillary Clinton is bent on dispelling:
In 2016, the debate over drivers’ licenses seems trivial. This year, the Democratic platform calls for the federal government to provide health-care to all residents of the United States, “regardless of immigration status,” and expresses support for Obama’s executive orders granting amnesty to children and parents. Last night, the convention’s progressive slate of speakers repeatedly emphasized these actions; nary a word was spoken about border security.
In eight years, Hillary Clinton’s views on immigration have come a long way. Whether the American people have shifted with her will be apparent soon enough.
Hillary Clinton's Changing Immigration Views