RFK Jr. believes borders must be closed before considering immigration amnesty.

“I don’t think anybody can talk credibly about giving amnesty or any other of those allusions until we can assure Americans that the borders are closed,” Kennedy told The Epoch Times.

Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking a strong stance on immigration amnesty, stating that he wouldn’t even consider it until he is sure the border is secure. Kennedy believes that the issue of amnesty is a “secondary issue” to the broader matter of border security.

“We all agree a nation can’t exist if it has a porous border,” Kennedy said. He added that it’s an issue that’s “a lot easier to solve, with a lot less poison and vituperation, if Americans know that the borders are now sealed.

Border Crisis

Under President Joe Biden, illegal border crossings have reached never-before-seen levels, with as many as half a million illegal aliens coming in through the southern border with Mexico annually. At the same time, enough fentanyl has been seized at the border to kill the entire population of the United States several times over.

Recent whistleblower disclosures claim that the U.S. government has become a “middleman” for cartel human trafficking operations. For Americans living at the border, this has meant encounters with sex slaves and drug traffickers, overwhelmed hospitals, and a more dangerous environment. Many have told reporters that they won’t leave their homes without a gun, and won’t let their children play outside unsupervised due to concerns about illegal aliens.

Many illegal immigrants have also evaded Border Patrol, meaning that Americans aren’t entirely sure who’s in the country, prompting fears of a potential terror attack or high-level cartel activity.

Immigration Court System Overwhelmed

Due to the unprecedented quantity of illegal aliens crossing the border, the immigration court system has also become overwhelmed, with many aliens not expected to show up to court until the 2030s.

Republicans have blamed Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the situation, saying that the duo have refused to enforce immigration laws for partisan reasons.

Kennedy’s Stance

Kennedy’s comments set him in contrast to other Democrats, who have generally sought to provide amnesty to illegal immigrants without first securing the border. Kennedy believes that the issue of amnesty needs to be discussed after the border is closed. He said, “I don’t think any American is going to be happy with any solution until we make sure that you know, the border’s closed.”

If elected, Kennedy’s first actions in office would be seeking bipartisan consensus on important issues, with the border being the first such issue that he would address.