2007 Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College: on Immigration

Barack Obama: Sanctuary cities show that feds are not enforcing law

A: The federal law is not being enforced not because of failures of local communities, but because the federal government has not done the job that it needs to do.

Q: You would allow the sanctuary cities to exist?

A: What I would do as president is pass comprehensive immigration reform. And controlling our borders but also providing a rational immigration system, which we currently don’t have.

Bill Richardson: Sanctuary cities ok until we have comprehensive policy

A: The answer is yes. The problem we have is the lack of a comprehensive immigration policy. This is a federal responsibility. We need to fix the immigration system that is broken. We need to first find ways to increase security at the border with more detection equipment, more border patrol, not this silly wall.

Chris Dodd: Sanctuary cities ok to deal with millions here already

A: [The immigration problem] was a failure of leadership again at the national level. We had an opportunity to draft an immigration law here that would have put us on the right track. We need to have a far better system to deal with the 12 to 20 million who are here illegally. If it means temporarily engaging in a sanctuary protection here, then so be it if that protects our country.

Dennis Kucinich: Sanctuary cities follow moral law if not federal law

A: We’re forgetting who we are as Americans. You have to remember the message of the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.” We’re forgetting that.

Q: Would you allow these sanctuary cities to disobey the federal law?

A: Absolutely. You know what? There’s a moral law here. And the moral law says that the immigrants are being used and mistreated.

Hillary Clinton: Sanctuary cities ok; local police can’t enforce immigration

A: Why do they have sanctuary cities? In large measure because if local law enforcement begins to act like immigration enforcement officers, you will hav people not reporting crimes. You will have people hiding from the police. That is a real direct threat to the personal safety and security of all the citizens. So this is a result of the failure of the federal government, and that’s where it needs to be fixed.

Q: But you would allow the sanctuary cities to disobey the federal law?

A: Well, I don’t think there is any choice. The local police chief trying to solve a crime might know people from the immigrant community have information about it, but they may not talk to you if they think you’re also going to be enforcing the immigration laws. Local law enforcement has a different job than federal immigration enforcement. The problem is the federal government has totally abdicated its responsibility.

Joe Biden: Sanctuary cities exist because feds can’t enforce their laws

A: The reason that cities ignore the federal law is the fact that there is no funding at the federal level to provide for the kind of enforcement at the federal level you need. This administration’s been fundamentally derelict in not funding any of the requirements that are needed even to enforce the existing law.

Q: So would you allow those cities to ignore the federal law?

A: No.

Mike Gravel: Make whole country a sanctuary city

A: This whole nation should be a sanctuary for the world and bring the people in. What’s going on? We’re scapegoating the Latinos of our society because we as a society are failing in education, we’re failing in health care, we’re failing in our crumbling infrastructure, and we’re failing by invading countries and spending our treasure. That’s what’s wrong.

Mike Gravel: I’m ashamed that we’re building a fence on southern border