Exclusive–Kashkari on Illegal Alien Kids: 'Send Them Home, Safely'

LOS ANGELES — Republican gubernatorial nominee Neel Kashkari told Breitbart News on Tuesday that the illegal alien children–many of them unaccompanied–who have flooded across the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks, some of whom have been transferred to California, need to be sent back to their countries of origin.

“We have to send these kids home, safely and compassionately,” he said. “I come at this from the perpsecitve of a son of immigrants. I believe immigrants add value, and that we are a nation of immigrants. I favor immigration reform. Yet I see these waves of kids coming, and it’s shocking to me, and it shows if you do create incentives people respond to that.” 

Kashkari was referring to the expectation among many migrants that the Obama administration’s “Dream Act” by fiat would let children arriving illegally in the U.S. stay indefinitely.

“The only way to stop this flood,” Kashkari continued, “is if the people back home see that the kids who went last month are back again. We have to tweak the 2008 law [the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act] so that people from the rest of the Central American countries are treated that same as people from Mexico are treated [with expedited deportation]. It’s only thing that makes sense.”

Kashkari said he is planning a border visit, and visits in communities to which the children are being brought. He added that his opponent, Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown, has nothing on the issue. 

“We do have a very serious national immigration issue, and he’s said almost nothing,” Kashkari said. “The governor of California has an extraordinary megaphone. Gov Rick Perry of Texas is weighing in. Gov. Brown should be weighing in, too.”