2020 Democratic Candidates’ Stances on Immigration
The 2020 presidential election is mere months away, and candidates from the Democratic Party are vying for the nomination – but where does each one stand on immigration? Here’s what you need to know.
There are currently 11 people still in the race for the Democratic Party’s 2020 nomination, and some of them have vastly different views on legal and illegal immigration. The current candidates – many of whom will drop out of the race in the coming months – include:
- Joe Biden
- Bernie Sanders
- Elizabeth Warren
- Pete Buttigieg
- Michael Bennet
- Michael Bloomberg
- Tulsi Gabbard
- Amy Klobuchar
- Deval Patrick
- Tom Steyer
- Andrew Yang
While each candidate’s popularity changes day by day – and even poll by poll – the three front-runners to date have been Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Here’s a closer look at each candidate’s stance on immigration. First, check out these tables, which put each candidate in his or her own camp on specific issues.
Decriminalizing Unlawful Border Crossings
| Yes, Decriminalize Unlawful Border Crossings | Yes, Temporarily Decriminalize Unlawful Border Crossings | No, Unlawful Border Crossing Should Remain a Crime | Unclear on Position |
| Sanders | Yang | Bennet | Bloomberg |
| Warren | Biden | Patrick | |
| Buttigieg | Klobuchar | Gabbard | |
| Steyer |
Current Legal Immigration Levels
| Increase Current Legal Immigration Levels | Maintain Current Legal Immigration Levels | Decrease Current Legal Immigration Levels | Unclear on Position |
| Biden | N/A | N/A | Steyer |
| Buttigieg | Sanders | ||
| Warren | Gabbard | ||
| Bennet | |||
| Bloomberg | |||
| Klobuchar | |||
| Patrick | |||
| Yang |
Citizenship for Dreamers
| Provide a Path to Citizenship for Dreamers | Provide Citizenship to Dreamers With Executive Action to Help Them Legalize if Congress Does Not Pass Legislation | Unclear on Position |
| Sanders | Steyer | Patrick |
| Biden | Gabbard | Bloomberg |
| Warren | ||
| Bennet | ||
| Buttigieg | ||
| Yang | ||
| Klobuchar |
Joe Biden’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Former Vice President Joe Biden promises to:
-
- Modernize the immigration system and welcome immigrants in communities
- Reassert our country’s commitment to asylees and refugees
- Implement effective border screening
Bernie Sander’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Senator Bernie Sanders promises to:
- Put a stop to all deportations until a thorough audit of past practices and policies is complete
- Create a path to citizenship for currently undocumented immigrants
- Reinstate and expand DACA
- Develop a new, more humane policy for asylees
- Dismantle detention centers and reunite families who have been separated at the border
- Welcome asylees and refugees for a broader range of reasons, including those who are displaced by climate change
- Break up ICE and CBP and redistributing their functions to the proper authorities
You can read more about Senator Sanders’ immigration stances here.
Elizabeth Warren’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Senator Elizabeth Warren promises to:
- Expand legal immigration
- Create cost-effective border security
- Decriminalize migration and refocus law enforcement on serious criminal activity
- Separate law enforcement from immigration enforcement
- Rebuild CBP and ICE
You can read more about Senator Warren’s immigration stances here.
Pete Buttigieg’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Mayor Pete Buttigieg promises to:
- Create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
- Protect Dreamers and TPS holders
- Promote citizenship for eligible lawful permanent residents
- Invest in naturalization and integration through the creation of a National Office of New Americans
You can read more about Mayor Buttigieg’s immigration stances here.
Michael Bennet’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Senator Michael Bennet promises to:
- Create a path to citizenship for DACA recipients and Dreamers
- Create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
- Increase border security
You can read more about Senator Bennet’s immigration stances here.
Michael Bloomberg’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Mayor Michael Bloomberg promises to:
Change deportation programs
- Normalize the status of otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.
You can read about Mayor Bloomberg’s stances on immigration here.
Tulsi Gabbard’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Representative Tulsi Gabbard promises to:
- Protect DACA recipients from deportation
- Create a high-tech surveillanc
e barrier rather than a wall at the U.S./Mexico border - Make legal immigration easier
- Grant citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants
You can learn more about Representative Gabbard’s stances on immigration
here.
Amy Klobuchar’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Senator Amy Klobuchar promises to:
- Increase legal immigration
- Increase temporary work visa numbers
- Reform ICE, but not abolish it
- Stop the separation of families at the border
You can read more about Senator Klobuchar’s policies here.
Deval Patrick’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Governor Deval Patrick promises to:
- Modernize naturalization and end the backlog of visa applications
- Expand the employment-based visa program
- Create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S.
- Provide work authorization to students who complete their studies in the U.S.
You can read more about Governor Patrick’s positions on immigration issues here.
Tom Steyer’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Tom Steyer promises to:
- End abuses within the immigration system
- Use executive action to reinstate DACA, enact DAPA and improve TPS
- Create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
- Reform ICE, CBP and USCIS but not disband the agencies
- End family separation
Andrew Yang’s Positions on Immigration Issues
Andrew Yang promises to:
- Create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
- Secure the U.S.-Mexico border to decrease illegal entry into the U.S.
Do You Need Immigration Help?
Although major reforms to the U.S.’s immigration system may be on the way – depending on who wins the presidency in 2020 – right now, we can help you navigate our current system. If you need immigration help, whether you’d like to immigrate to the U.S. yourself, you’d like to bring your family members to the U.S., or you’d like your company to be able to hire foreign workers, please call us today to schedule your free consultation.