Trump's speech: Candidate modifies his stance on immigration, slightly

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said this week that he remains committed to building a wall between the United States and Mexico, but he changed his tune on deporting all illegal aliens, saying instead that he would focus on deporting those who have committed crimes or pose security threats.

Trump also reiterated his position on requiring illegal aliens to return to their country of origin before they can seek legal status or citizenship here.

It wasn't a complete departure from his previous hard-line stance on illegal immigration, but it did show some moderation.

But building a wall was not one of them. Hours after meeting with the president of Mexico, he repeated his intent to build such a wall and to make Mexico pay for it.

Supporters called Trump's plan workable. But critics said it is still un-American. We aren't sure what to make of it. He left a number of questions unanswered. And many Hispanic leaders have indicated they were disappointed, saying he had promised to provide a pathway to legal status for people living in this country illegally -- something he did not do.

Published in Editorials on September 2, 2016 10:00 AM