Former Vice President Joe Biden once suggested a 40-story fence along America’s southern border to stop the inflow of drugs coming through “corrupt Mexico,” according to a resurfaced 2006 video.
“Folks, I voted for a fence, I voted, and unlike most Democrats — and some of you won’t like it — I voted for 700 miles of fence,” Biden said to a South Carolina rotary club in November 2006, according to CNN.
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“But, let me tell you, we can build a fence 40 stories high — unless you change the dynamic in Mexico and — and you will not like this, and — punish American employers who knowingly violate the law when, in fact, they hire illegals,” Biden continued. “Unless you do those two things, all the rest is window dressing.”
The then-senator for Delaware added the barrier was more about addressing illegal drug flow than immigration. (RELATED: Biden: We Have ‘Obligation’ To Give Illegals Healthcare)
“And let me tell you something folks, people are driving across that border with tons, tons, hear me, tons of everything from byproducts for methamphetamine to cocaine to heroin and it’s all coming up through corrupt Mexico,” Biden said.
Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said the 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful still believes in immigration reform, but disagrees with President Donald Trump’s policies, CNN reported.
“He believes that we can secure our borders without abandoning our values, and that we should do that by addressing the root causes of immigration abroad and working toward comprehensive immigration reform at home, including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and smart border security,” Bates said. “He also believes that the Trump Administration’s approach to immigration, including its crackdown on sanctuary cities and especially its repugnant treatment of migrant children, is contrary to our values as a nation.”
Biden’s 2006 remarks were not the first to discuss cracking down on border-related issues, however. He did not support sanctuary cities breaking federal law and thought employers of illegal immigrants should be sent to prison in 2007. Biden also believed illegal immigrants should not have access to driver licenses in 2008, according to CNN.
Biden announced his candidacy for presidency in April.
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