Texas Gov. Rick Perry has something in common with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: They both agree that illegal immigrants are breaking the law to feed their families.
"I have sympathy," Perry said Wednesday on Fox News Channel's
"Your World with Neil Cavuto." "I totally understand about people breaking a law to take care of their family — particularly when the country whose law you're breaking has for 40 years basically said, 'Come on over, don't worry about it.'"
Bush on April 6 drew fire from fellow Republicans for saying illegal immigrants weren't committing felonies so much as
an "act of love."
Both Bush and Perry have said they are considering runs for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, and immigration is expected to be a key topic in the race.
Perry said illegal immigrants were courted for decades because they would take jobs Americans didn't want, such as field work. But after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and fears of drug cartels, the government has wanted to send them back.
But, he added, the immigration issue may soon swing in the opposite direction "because Mexico is about to liberalize their energy policies, and we're going to see a great outflow of individuals."
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