Trump invokes Eisenhower on illegal immigration

By Paul Bremmer

Donald Trump doubled down on his signature immigration control plan – deporting illegals – during Tuesday night’s GOP presidential debate, even invoking the nation of Israel and Dwight Eisenhower.

"We are a country of laws," the real estate mogul declared. "We need borders. We will have a wall. The wall will be built. The wall will be successful. And if you think walls don't work, all you have to do is ask Israel. The wall works, believe me, properly done. Believe me."

When pressed by Maria Bartiromo on whether he would really deport the millions of illegal aliens currently in the country, Trump affirmed that he would, saying "we either have a country or we don't."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich then jumped in.

"If people think we are going to ship 11 million people who are law-abiding who are in this country, and somehow pick them up at their house and ship them out to Mexico – think about the families," Kasich pleaded. "Think about the children."

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The governor suggested illegals already here should have to pay a penalty and be allowed to stay, but anyone who tries to enter the country from now on should be sent back. But he trashed the idea of mass deportation.

"Come on folks!" he cried. "We all know you can't pick them up and ship them back across the border. It's a silly argument. It's not an adult argument. It makes no sense."

Trump responded by pointing to the ultimate success of Operation Wetback in the days of President Eisenhower.

"Let me just tell you that Dwight Eisenhower … moved a million and a half illegal immigrants out of this country, moved them just beyond the border; they came back," Trump explained. "Moved them again beyond the border, they came back. Didn't like it; moved them way south. They never came back.

"Dwight Eisenhower. You don't get nicer, you don't get friendlier; they moved a million and a half people out. We have no choice. We have no choice."

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Trump then got backup from an unexpected quarter – Sen. Ted Cruz.

Jeb Bush argued Hillary Clinton and the Democrats were "laughing" because Trump refused to back down on his plan to deport illegal immigrants. However, Cruz pivoted away from a question about benefits for retirees to take a hard line on immigration.

"What was said was right," Cruz said. "The Democrats are laughing. If the Republicans join the Democrats as the party of amnesty we will lose.

"I understand that when the mainstream media covers immigration it doesn't often see it as an economic issue. But I can tell you that for millions of Americans at home watching this, it is a very personal economic issue."

Cruz also took a shot at the donor class which often favors mass immigration as well as the generally pro-immigration mainstream media.

"And I will say the politics of it would be very different if a number of lawyers or bankers were crossing the Rio Grande," said Cruz. "Or if a bunch of people with journalism degrees were coming over and driving down the wages in the press. Then we would see stories about the economic calamity that has befallen our nation."

He was greeted with loud laughter.

Cruz also pivoted to wage levels, connecting mass immigration to the decline of the American worker as well as making a moral claim about legal immigration.

"And I will say for those of us who believe people should come to our country legally and enforce the law, we're tired of being told 'it's anti-immigrant,' It's offensive!

"I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba to seek the American Dream. And we can embrace legal immigration while believing in the rule of law.

"And I would note – try going illegally to another country. Try going to China or Japan. Try going to Mexico!

“Every sovereign nation secures its borders and it is not compassionate to say we’re not going enforce the laws and we’re going to drive down the wages for millions of hard working men and women. That is abandoning the working men."