During CNN/YouTube Presidential Debate Republican Candidates Sound Off on Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

The Republican candidates for president were asked to answer the question, "Will you pledge to veto amnesty for illegal immigrants?" during the CNN/YouTube debate that aired on November 28.

A video of their responses posted to the YouTube website showed Senator Fred Thompson, Rudolph Giuliani, Senator John McCain, and Congressman Tommy Tancredo responding to the question, as well as to attacks on their positions on the issue. The candidates talked about enforcing the nation's borders, dealing with illegal immigrants already in the country, and eliminating sanctuary cities.

Fred Thompson vowed to veto amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"Yes. I will pledge that. A nation that cannot and will not defend its own borders will not forever remain a sovereign nation," Thomson said.

"We have thousands of people standing in line at embassies around the world to become United States American citizens. To come here to get a green card. To come here and to assimilate, to become a part of our culture. They are a part of what has made out country great. Some of our better citizens, we all know them and love them. Now it's our country together - theirs and ours now together. It's our home. And we now get to decide who comes into our home. And to put somebody above them or in front of them in line is the wrong thing to do."

"We've go to strengthen the border, we've got to enforce the border, we've got to punish the employers who will not obey the law, and we've go to eliminate sanctuary cities and say to sanctuary cities 'If you continue this, we're going to cut off federal funding for you. You're not going to do it with federal money.'"

Thompson went on to Rudolph Giuliani's record on illegal immigration, saying that, under Giuliani, New York was a sanctuary city.

"We did have a sanctuary city... in 1996 I helped pass the bill outlawing sanctuary cities. The mayor went to court to over turn it. So if it wasn't a sanctuary city I'd call that a frivolous lawsuit," he said.

Giuliani was then given a chance to respond to Thompson's attack.

"New York City was not a sanctuary city. New York City did three exceptions. The three exceptions were to allow children to go to school; to allow those illegal immigrants who were the victims of crime to report the person who assaulted them, beat them up, or mugged them; and third to require emergency care in the hospitals which we were required to do by federal law," he said.

"We had a policy of reporting every single illegal immigrant other than those three who committed any kind of crime or were suspected of crime and we reported thousands to Immigration Services. Very few of them were deported."

Moderator Anderson Cooper then posed the original question to Senator John McCain.

John McCain:

"Yes, of course, and we never proposed amnesty. But, you know, this whole debate saddens a little bit because we do have a serious situation in America. In 1986 we passed a law that said that we would enforce our borders and gave amnesty to a couple million people. We gave the amnesty and now we have 12 million people and still we have borders that are not enforced," he responded.

"I came to the senate not to do the easy things but to do the hard things. Mel Martinez and I knew this was going to be a tough issue. But we thought the status quo was unacceptable. Broken borders. 12 million people here illegally. A need for temporary work programs - certainly in my state in the agricultural sectors. Certainly in the state of Florida. And we tried to get something done."

"We said we'd enforce the borders. The American people didn't believe us. They don't believe us because of our failure in Katrina, our failure in Iraq, our failures in reigning in corruption and out of control spending. So we tried and we failed."

"And I appreciate the president's efforts. He comes from a border state too. And what we've learned is that the American people want the borders enforced. We must enforce the borders, secure the borders first. But then you've still got two different aspects of this issue that have to be resolved as well. And we need to sit down as Americans and realize that these are God's children as well. And they need some protections under the law. And they need some of our love and compassion."

"And I want to ensure you that I will enforce the borders first and as president of the United States we'll solve this immigration problem. And we won't demagogue it. And we won't have sanctuary cities. And we won't have all this other rhetoric that, unfortunately, contributes nothing to the national dialogue."

Congressman Tancredo wrapped up discussion of the issue.

"While, I'll tell you, this has been wonderful. Senator McCain may not be happy with the spirit of this debate. For a guy who usually stands on the book end here side and just listens all the time - that's kind of frustrating in other debates - I have to tell you so far it's been wonderful. Because all I've heard is people trying to out Tancredo Tancredo. It is great. I am so happy to hear it. It is a good message. Yes, I want to secure the borders," he said.

None of the other Republican candidates were given a chance to respond to the question.