Donald Trump and John Kasich rumble over immigration at GOP debate

John Kasich and Donald Trump fight over immigration

(Image credit: Fox News/YouTube)

At Tuesday's Fox Business GOP presidential debate, Maria Bartiromo pitched a softball to Donald Trump, asking him if he was a fan of a federal appellate court's ruling against President Obama's plan to shield some illegal immigrants from deportation, and then what he would do about illegal immigration. He reiterated that he would build a "successful" wall between the U.S. and Mexico and deport every illegal immigrant. "They'll have to go out, and they'll come back, but they're going to have to go out, and hopefully they get back," Trump said.

Neil Cavuto tried to pass the question to Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), but Ohio Gov. John Kasich jumped in. Kasich said that the U.S. needs to control its borders, "but if people think we are going to ship 11 million people who are law-abiding, who are in this country, and somehow pick them up at their house, and ship them out to Mexico? Think about the families! Think about the children." Kasich said the idea that the U.S. can deport 11 million immigrants is "a silly argument, it's not an adult argument. It makes no sense."

Trump responded with a jab at Ohio's economy and a story about President Dwight D. Eisenhower moving 1.5 million illegal immigrants out of the U.S. repeatedly, until they were so far south they couldn't get back. The moderators tried to pass the conversation to Jeb Bush, but Kasich jumped back in to defend Ohio's diversified economy, giving Trump his biggest applause line of the exchange: "You should let Jeb speak." When Bush did speak, he sided with Kasich and said "they're doing high-fives in the Clinton headquarters" because of all the Republicans pushing deportation. Watch Trump and Kasich spar below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.