Former President George W. Bush admitted Thursday he is "disturbed" by the nation's immigration debate because it makes all immigrants look bad.
Bush attended an event with former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The pair took questions from Presidential Leadership Scholars graduates.
"I am disturbed by the debate that's taking place, because I think it undermines the goodness of America," Bush said regarding the topic of immigration. "I think it doesn't recognize the valuable contributions that immigrants make to our society.
"And it obscures the fact — the rhetoric does — that the system is broken and needs to be fixed."
CNN posted a clip of Bush's remarks.
The Trump administration instituted a zero-tolerance policy in May for people who illegally cross into the United States from Mexico. The practice led to children being separated from their parents because adults are processed criminally, which caused an uproar nationwide.
The Trump administration has put the onus on Democrats to come to the table and fix the immigration system through legislation.
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