The Democratic presidential candidate said she doesn’t support abolishing U.S Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE), but instead wants to “reform” the agency.
Trump claimed at a rally in Colorado Springs on Thursday that Colorado had become a “sanctuary state” and that Democratic leaders in the state “think Colorado should be a haven for murderers, kidnappers and felons that come into our country illegally.”
Asked if the Democratic leaders who want to abolish ICE are going “too far,” Senator Klobuchar told Next 9 News, “I don’t agree with abolishing ICE. I think we need to reform ICE. I was actually one of the first people when this issue came up to be very clear in my position.”
But she added: “I think, more than that, what the president is trying to do, of course, is that he only focuses on one side of immigration.
“Instead of acknowledging what so many people in Colorado know which is that immigrants are a major part of our economy. And the way to deal with everything, including security issues, is by passing comprehensive immigration reform—acknowledging that immigrants don’t diminish America, they are America.”
Sen. Klobuchar added that she believes many voters in Colorado disagree with Trump’s views on immigration. She said she believes the president’s handling of the issue will hurt his chances in the election.
“The way the president handles immigration reform is just the opposite of what I think we should be doing,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “He uses immigrants as wedges. He goes after them at his rallies.
“Instead of sensibly standing back and saying,‘we know we need to make improvements to this system. How do we do it? How do we get it done?’
“He has literally stood in the way of immigration reform. That’s not where the majority of the people from Colorado are, not just fired up Democrats but also independents and moderate Republicans that want to get immigration reform done. I think it’s going to be a problem for him in Colorado.”
Sen. Klobuchar added that passing a comprehensive immigration bill would help the state’s employment needs, specifically in agriculture, as it would “just make it easier to allow people to work.”
Sen. Klobuchar’s office and the White House have been contacted for additional comment.