Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria are listed last.

Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Baldwin, Chuck (Cst) - Con Chuck Baldwin, Founder and Minister of the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL, issued the following statement through his Communications Director, Mary Starrett, in an Aug. 11, 2008 email to ProCon.org: "These immigrants - including illegal aliens - have been made eligible for various kinds of public assistance, including housing, education, Social Security, and legal services. This unconstitutional drain on the federal Treasury is having a severe and adverse impact on our economy, increasing the cost of government at federal, state, and local levels, adding to the tax burden, and stressing the fabric of society... We oppose the provision of welfare subsidies and other taxpayer-supported benefits to illegal aliens." Aug. 11, 2008 Chuck Baldwin

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Barr, Bob (Lib) - Con Bob Barr, former US House Representative (R-GA), stated in an article titled "Bob Barr on: Border Security & Immigration" on his official candidate website (accessed Aug. 6, 2008): "...[W]e must end government benefits and services for illegal immigrants. Many local communities and states have begun to reduce payments to those who come here illegally, but a 1982 Supreme Court decision mandates that we provide education to the children of illegal immigrants. This detrimental ruling should be overturned through another Court challenge or a constitutional amendment." Aug. 6, 2008 Bob Barr

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McCain, John (R) - Pro John McCain, US Senator (R-AZ), stated at the Nov. 28, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in St. Petersburg, FL hosted by the Cable News Network (CNN), YouTube.com, and the Republican Party of Florida: "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 a temporary worker program, certainly in my state in the agricultural section, certainly in this state of Florida... And we need to sit down as Americans and recognize these are God's children as well. And they need some protection under the law. And they need some of our love and compassion." Nov. 28, 2007 John McCain

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McKinney, Cynthia (Grn) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Cynthia McKinney, former US House Representative (D-GA), stated in an interview published in the Jan. 8, 2008 International Liaison Committee (ILC) Newsletter: "It is impossible to discuss the issue of so-called 'illegal immigration' without addressing the reasons millions of people are forced to flee their countries to come to the United States.... And as you do this, you have to put a halt to policies at home that criminalize the victims or treat them as second-class citizens. These are all union-busting and wage-depressing tactics couched in terms of making the victim appear to be the perpetrator." Jan. 8, 2008 Cynthia McKinney

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Nader, Ralph (Ind) - Pro Ralph Nader, attorney, author, and political activist, stated in a June 21, 2004 interview with Pat Buchanan, "Ralph Nader: Conservatively Speaking," published by The American Conservative: "[Pat Buchanan]: Should illegal aliens be entitled to social-welfare benefits, even though they are not citizens and broke into the country? [Ralph Nader]: I think they should be given all the fair-labor standards and all the rights and benefits of American workers, and if this country doesn't like that, maybe they will do something about the immigration laws. [Pat Buchanan]: Should they be entitled to get driver's licenses? [Ralph Nader]: Yes, in order to reduce hazards on the highway. If you have people who are driving illegally, there are going to be more crashes, and more people are going to be killed." June 21, 2004 Ralph Nader

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Obama, Barack (D) - Pro Barack Obama, US Senator (D-IL), stated at the Nov. 15, 2007 Democratic Presidential Debate in Las Vegas, NV, hosted by the Cable News Network (CNN): "When I was a state senator in Illinois, I voted to require that illegal aliens get trained, get a license, get insurance to protect public safety. That was my intention... The problem we have here is not driver's licenses. Undocumented workers do not come here to drive... They're here to work. And so instead of being distracting by what has now become a wedge issue, let's focus on actually solving the problem that this administration, the Bush administration, had done nothing about it." Nov. 15, 2007 Barack Obama

CANDIDATES WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN OR WHO NO LONGER MEET OUR CRITERIA      Biden, Joe (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 3, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Brownback, Sam (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Oct. 19, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Clinton, Hillary (D) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Hillary Clinton, US Senator (D-NY), stated at the Jan. 31, 2008 Democratic Presidential Debate hosted by CNN in Los Angeles, CA: "...[W]hat we've got to do is to say, come out of the shadows. We will register everyone. We will check, because if you have committed a crime in this country or the country you came from, then you will not be able to stay, you will have to be deported. But for the vast majority of people who are here, we will give you a path to legalization if you meet the following condition: pay a fine because you entered illegally, be willing to pay back taxes over time, try to learn English -- and we have to help you do that, because we've cut back on so many of those services -- and then you wait in line.... And therefore, it's imperative we approach it this way, only after people have agreed to these conditions...and that they have been willing to say, yes, they will meet those conditions, do I think we ought to talk about privileges like drives' licenses." Jan. 31, 2008 Hillary Clinton Top      Dodd, Chris (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 3, 2008; no position found as of that date Top    Edwards, John (D) - Pro John Edwards, former US Senator (D-NC), stated at the Sep. 9, 2007 Democratic Presidential Debate in Coral Gables, FL hosted by Univision: "...[T]he other thing that we need to do is not just recognize the economic benefits of these workers, but understand in many cases they are being abused, they are being taken advantage of, their rights are not being protected. And it is enormously important that we have comprehensive immigration reform so that those who in fact are working 10 hours a day in 105-degree heat have the same sort of worker rights that other Americans have. They are no less human, and no less value as human beings, and they deserve those same rights, which is why there needs to be a comprehensive immigration reform and path to earn citizenship." Sep. 9, 2007 John Edwards Top      Gilmore, Jim (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Aug. 14, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Giuliani, Rudy (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, stated in a Mar. 23, 2007 article titled "Giuliani Sidesteps Whether Illegals Should Get Citizenship Without First Leaving US" on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) News: "And finally, with regard to the people that are already here, somebody who's already here should not get ahead of somebody who legally is here. If anybody is here illegally, they should never get to be put ahead of a line of people that are here legally. They should have to pay a penalty, because there should not be amnesty. It's a civil wrong. Civil wrongs are compensated by paying penalties. They should pay the back taxes. And if you ultimately find a way to make them citizens, then there should be a very, very strong requirement that they speak English, read English, write English, and understand American history. And that's, I think, I think that's a solution we can probably get to before the 2008 election." Mar. 23, 2007 Rudy Giuliani    Giuliani, Rudy (R) - Pro [Editor's Note: Prior to Rudy Giuliani's Mar. 23, 2007 Not Clearly Pro or Con position, his position was Pro illegal immigrant rights and benefits as indicated in his statement in an Oct. 13, 1996 article titled "Archives of Rudolph W. Giuliani: Mayor's Message" on the City of New York Government website.] "For those who may not know, 'Executive Order 124' is New York City's policy regarding undocumented immigrants. This order was issued seven years ago by Mayor Ed Koch and then later reissued by Mayor Dinkins and then by me. 'Executive Order 124' protects undocumented immigrants in New York City from being reported to the US Immigration and Naturalization Service while they are using City services that are crucial for their health and safety, and critical for the health and safety of the entire city. I know 'Executive Order 124' offends some people. They ask, 'Why should we pay to provide services for illegal immigrants?' The answer is, 'It's not only to protect them, but to protect the rest of society, as well.' New York City is defending 'Executive Order 124' in court because there are times when undocumented immigrants must have a degree of protection in order to avail themselves of crucial services. For example, parents fearful of being deported may not send their children to public schools. If they don't, a potential 60,000, 70,000, 80,000 undocumented children could remain hidden in apartments or be turned out in the streets. Not only would these children suffer irreversible damage, they could end up doing damage to the rest of society as well. Similarly, illegal and undocumented immigrants should be able to seek medical help without the threat of being reported, possibly deported. While these people are sick, they're just as sick and just as contagious as citizens. They could possibly become a danger to public health if they were not able to seek health care services." Oct. 13, 1996 Rudy Giuliani Top            Gravel, Mike (Lib) - None Found ProCon.org emailed the Gravel campaign on Jan. 30, 2008 with this question. We had not received a reply or found a position as of Mar. 12, 2008.   Top    Huckabee, Mike (R) - Pro [Editor's Note: Prior to Huckabee's Con position, regarding rights and benefits of illegal immigrants, he has also expressed a Pro position as indicated in his Dec. 2, 2007 statement on American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) This Week with George Stephanopoulos.] "George Stephanopoulos: Aside from the scholarships, if a child of an illegal immigrant went through high school in Arkansas, he would get the same in-state benefits as other Arkansas residents do. Yet if a student was coming in from Colorado, they would pay higher tuition. Mike Huckabee: The difference is, if a student comes in from Colorado, he hasn't been educated in our high schools. He hasn't had our courses. But if you've had a child that's been there since he was five- or six-years-old, or even since he was 13 - and he's had his entire high school experience sitting along side Arkansas students - the point is, is he better off going to college and becoming a taxpayer as opposed to not going to college and potentially becoming a tax-taker?" Dec. 2, 2007 Mike Huckabee    Huckabee, Mike (R) - Con Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, in an article titled "Issues: Immigration" on his official campaign website (accessed Jan. 24, 2008), stated: "I oppose and will not tolerate sanctuaries for illegals. The federal government must enforce our existing laws by cracking down on rogue cities and towns that willfully undermine our economy and our homeland security by giving benefits and protection to illegals. The consequences for illegal entry must be swift, certain, and uniform throughout our country. I oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals, such as Governor Spitzer tried to do in New York. I support legislation that would prevent the states from granting this privilege to illegals. In 2005, I signed legislation that prevents illegals in Arkansas from getting driver's licenses." Jan. 24, 2008 Mike Huckabee Top      Hunter, Duncan (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 19, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Imperato, Daniel (3rd/I) - None Found ProCon.org emailed the Imperato campaign on Dec. 13, 2007 with this question. Mr. Imperato provided a response to this question and 26 others during a recorded 45-minute telephone interview with ProCon.org on Mar. 11, 2008. On Mar. 21, 2008 Mr. Imperato no longer met our eligibility criteria for inclusion on this site, and we stopped transcribing his verbal responses as of that date.   Top    Keyes, Alan (Ind) - Con Alan Keyes, former Assistant US Secretary of State, stated in the "Immigration" section of his official candidate website (accessed Apr. 4, 2008:) "It's a travesty when those who have abided by the law and become citizens through the proper means are considered no different than those who have not. If we start extending all the privileges of life and citizenship to people who are not citizens and who are not here legally, then we're breaking down our own laws." Apr. 4, 2008 Alan Keyes Top      Kubby, Steve (3rd/I) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Steve Kubby, a Libertarian candidate and founder of the American Medical Marijuana Association, stated in a Jan. 31, 2008 email to ProCon.org: "Rights aren't something you 'receive.' They're something you possess by virtue of the fact that you're a human being. The proper question is whether or not illegal aliens are entitled to have their natural, inalienable human rights RESPECTED -- and the only acceptable answer to that is 'of course they are.' 'Benefits' are even trickier. If you're referring to the web of welfare 'entitlements,' no, illegal aliens shouldn't receive them ... and neither should anyone else. The best answer to the whole situation is to allow peaceful people to come to America to work without restriction, and to end the welfare state that sets up these stupid jealousies in the first place." Jan. 31, 2008 Steve Kubby Top      Kucinich, Dennis (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 25, 2008; no position found as of that date Top    McEnulty, Frank (3rd/I) - Pro Frank McEnulty, an Independent candidate and President of Our Castle Homes, in a Jan. 24, 2008 email to ProCon.org, stated: "Yes and no. They should receive some of the rights, but very few of the benefits. For example, they should receive the same rights as everyone else in a criminal action, but they should not receive the benefits of welfare or other social programs." Jan. 24, 2008 Frank McEnulty Top    Paul, Ron (R) - Con Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated in a Dec. 2, 2007 article titled "Dr. Paul's Writings: On Illegal Immigration and Border Security" on his official campaign website: "Right now we are subsidizing a lot of illegal immigration with our robust social programs and it is an outrage that instead of coming to the United States as a land of opportunity, many come for the security guaranteed by government forced transfer payments through our welfare system. I have opposed giving federal assistance to illegal immigrants and have introduced legislation that ends this practice. In the last major House-passed immigration bill I attempted to introduce an amendment that would make illegal immigrants ineligible for any federal assistance. Unfortunately, that amendment was ruled 'not relevant' to immigration reform. I believe it is very relevant to taxpayers, however, who are being taken advantage of through the welfare system. Illegal immigrants should never be eligible for public schooling, social security checks, welfare checks, free healthcare, food stamps, or any other form government assistance." Dec. 2, 2007 Ron Paul Top      Richardson, Bill (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 10, 2008; no position found as of that date Top    Romney, Mitt (R) - Pro Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated at the Nov. 28, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in St. Petersburg, FL, hosted by CNN, YouTube.com, and the Republican Party of Florida: "[I]f you're here illegally, you should not be here. We're not going to give you benefits, other than those required by the law, like health care and education, and that's the course we're going to have to pursue... Let me tell you what I did as governor. I said no to driver's licenses for illegals. I said, number two, we're going to make sure that those that come here don't get a tuition break in our schools, which I disagree with other folks on that one." Nov. 28, 2007 Mitt Romney Top    Smith, Christine (3rd/I) - Pro Christine Smith, a Libertarian candidate and a social and political activist, stated in a Feb. 27, 2008 email to ProCon.org: "Yes." Feb. 27, 2008 Christine Smith Top      Tancredo, Tom (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Dec. 20, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Thompson, Fred (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 22, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Thompson, Tommy (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Sep. 12, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Vilsack, Tom (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Feb. 23, 2007; no position found as of that date