Jeb Bush: Illegal Immigration is an “Act of Love”

Crossing the border illegally “is a different kind of crime,” Jeb Bush told Fox News over the weekend. “Yes, they broke the law, but it’s not a felony. It’s an act of love; it’s an act of commitment to your family.”

CNN said Bush will attempt to use anger over deportations to swing Latinos into the Republican camp. Bush’s remark characterizing Obama is the “deporter-in-chief” is intended to turn large Latino populations in California, Texas and Florida against the Democrats.

Bush is considered by many to be an “honorary Hispanic.” Political strategist Vincent Casillas told NBC Latino Bush has a strong “relationship with the Latino community, and his wife being Mexican has really helped him understand issues important to Latinos. He will definitely have more opportunities to engage in a conversation. His background will get Latinos to listen, but not necessarily trust him. Every candidate has to earn that trust. The general population has become very suspect [sic] of politicians. The narrative they believe is that politicians will say what they need to say to get elected.”

Jeb’s brother, former President George W. Bush, has called for permanent residency for all illegal immigrants within six months instead of three years. He told the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza that illegal immigrants should be welcomed with open arms rather than by a hostile Immigrant and Naturalization Service bureaucracy under the Obama administration, according to ABC News.

Hispanics are expected to become almost 20 percent of voters by 2025. According to The New York Times, citing statistics compiled by the Democrat organization Center for American Progress, 600,000 Hispanics will be eligible to vote in Florida in 2016 while, over the same period, fewer than 125,000 new white voters will be eligible in Florida. Arizona will see more than 175,000 Hispanics become potential voters as the number of white voters falls by roughly 10,000. In Texas, 185,000 new white eligible voters will be out numbered by around 900,000 Hispanics.

Democrats, however, currently hold an advantage over Republicans. According to a survey conducted last year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the preferred choice over Bush and Florida Republican Marco Rubio. Clinton is viewed positively by 73 percent of likely Hispanic voters, while 17 percent have a negative view, The Hill reported last July.