Asked on Wednesday whether he would keep Obama's 2012 deferred action program that protects undocumented youth from deportation if Congress doesn't pass a new immigration law, Marco Rubio said, "No, it will have to end at some point."
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"I've already said we shouldn't be signing up new people to the program. We should stop new enrolllment. This program has now been around for 3 years, if you haven't signed up by now, we're not going to extend the program. DACA is going to end," he said, adding that the ideal way for it to end is with it being replaced by a "reform system" alternative.
Democrats seized on the comments immediately, firing off statements about Rubio's damning "transformation."
Sen. Bob Menendez called it part of the "race to the bottom to attack Latinos and immigrant families."
The DNC said Rubio is "about as trustworthy on immigration reform as he is on his tax plan and his personal finances."
Alliance4Citizenship said his "transformation from pro-reform moderate to anti-immigrant extremist is now complete."
America's Voice said, "Finally, we get a clear answer from Senator Marco Rubio on this important question."
Rubio has maintained this position for more than six months, telling influential Univision anchor Jorge Ramos in April that the policy "needs to end."
“DACA I think that it's important, it can’t be cancelled from one moment to the next because there already people benefitting," Rubio said. "But yes it needs to end, it can’t be the permanent policy of the United States."
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Rubio went on to say that he doesn't think that's what people are asking for either, they want "immigration reform," which he said would be possible during his presidency. Rubio added in the interview that nobody is advocating for deporting 12 million people, which Trump would go on to advocate for when he launched his campaign in June.
Trump is actually the reason Rubio had to reiterate his position.
Marco Rubio would keep Barack Obama’s executive order on amnesty intact. See article. Cannot be President. https://t.co/JW5f8OouyA
Trump tweeted out at a Breitbart article about a (originally mistranslated) interview Rubio did with Ramos, which said Rubio would keep the action in place until a larger solution could be agreed to.
"First of all, Donald was a supporter of amnesty and of the DREAM Act and he changed his position on those issues just to run for president," Rubio also told Fox News on Wednesday.
