Condoleezza Rice: 'I Don't Know When Immigrants Became The Enemy'

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke on a variety of topics in front of a crowd at Duke University Tuesday night, offering a particular criticism of the nation's stance on immigration.

"That immigrant culture that has renewed us ... has been at the core of our strength," she said, according to the The Raleigh News & Observer. "I don't know when immigrants became the enemy."

Rice has long lamented the Bush administration's failure to address comprehensive immigration reform during two terms in office, a disappointment that she reportedly reiterated on Tuesday.

In 2009, she called the lack of action one of her "biggest regrets."

"America has always been able to attract the most ambitious people who are determined to have a better life," Rice said during an appearance at Stanford University, where she currently teaches. "If we ever lose that and start to believe that somehow that it is instead a threat to us to have those people come here, we are going to lose one of the strongest elements of not just our national wealth, but of our national soul."

She has also spoken out on the need to get undocumented immigrants out of the "shadows," and last year issued a warning about Alabama's controversial immigration enforcement law.

“I think we need to be really careful about what kind of laws we pass and that, in the effort to get a handle on this problem, we don’t end up making the problem worse,” she told Alabama's Press-Register, after claiming that inaction at the federal level was catalyzing such measures. "The fact is that, generally speaking, this patchwork approach is not serving us well and we need to find a better solution. State laws are just not going to do it."

Rice has also recently been included on GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney's vice presidential short list, according to some reports, though she has denied that she'd accept the position.

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Comments

[helpmemakeit]

11:43 AM on 02/14/2013

If we need to fix the immigration system, don't we need to first fix those already here (undocumented) for decades already? we have been using them? we are not able to kick them all out because we lack strength. They are sucking up nicely & carelessly because they are neither traceable (generally speaking) nor accountable for their earnings for tax. So, as a smart Government, we should bring them out of the shadows. This will make them responsible, accountable, and a family member with equal contribution to the community.

[mblakney]

09:25 AM on 02/12/2013

Condoleezza Rice: 'I Don't Know When Immigrants Became The Enemy'
I do...it was right after Dubya and his lackeys crashed the economy and the "good ole boy's" job network broke down...then the Republican and the Tea Party took over the House of Representatives.
Any Questions!!

[Brian Williams 33]

10:40 PM on 02/11/2013

Condi has alienated just about everyone in the US, so she hopes to FOOL the illegal aliens to trust her ( VIVA CONDI for Presidente 2016) by PANDERING to them and offering up AMNESTY....

[sdfin]

01:43 PM on 07/05/2012

Anyone who doesn't know the difference between an immigrant & an illegal is part of the problem & doesn't belong in any position in our govt - esp as VP. We need people at that level who are watching our for Americans, including jobs, taxes, education & everything else they're gathering taxes from us for.

[sdfin]

01:37 PM on 07/05/2012

No making an ill-informed statement such as this should be working in our govt - esp as VP. I was hopeful for her but she's lost my vote now.

[sdfin]

01:36 PM on 07/05/2012

Immigrants are not the enemy - those in control of ones coming here w/o permission are. Illegals cost taxpayers billions per state & do not have the right to be here let alone pop out kids for taxpayers to support. It's just not right & it's a slap in the face to all those who've come here thru legal channels.

[anillinoisgal]

02:55 PM on 06/26/2012

Rice is such a hypocrite, just like all Republicans who support Romney and criticize Obama. In another article, she criticizes Obama for his pro immigration stance, yet in the same breath, she asks why immigrants have become the enemy, which Romney is making him out to be?? We certainly don't need another flip flop on the ticket. Romney is the expert of that strategy. He has either no position or 2 positions on every topic, depending on his mood.

[William Torio]

04:31 PM on 04/19/2012

Oh Condi, we thought we knew thee................but now we definitely Know you! Anyone have a baby wipe, I see a brain spill.

[AlfredE69]

06:21 PM on 04/15/2012

Ms Rice. Did you find Saddam's nucular bomb?

[betted57]

05:25 PM on 04/15/2012

Why can't these so called intelligent people get it right, not immigrants,now wait for it, you reading this ok ready IT IS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!!!! Have you got it now Ms. Rice.

[Marine Staff Sergeant]

02:03 PM on 04/15/2012

Geez Condi, your IQ just went down 25 points. Immigrants are not the issue, illegal immigrants are.

Wake up lady, are you campaigning for barry too?

[ay1371]

01:39 PM on 04/15/2012

I`m suprised by the lack of brains with condolezza rice..I always RESPECTED her because of her intellegence and she now forgets that immigrants are now and always have been welcomed in this country--Condolezza doesn`t want to let the 99.8% of americans think of ILLEGAL LAWBREAKERS as what they are..Now she wants to exclude them as LAWBREAKERS who are costing our society billions of dollars weekly and flaunt the fact that they don`t give a damn either--The lawbreakers have all of the hispanic community rallying behind them also with our worthless presidents-congress-justice dept and federal courts who don`t abide by their pledge to uphold the constitution and LAWS(on the books too). She must be goind to run for something and wants the LAWBREAKERS to vote for her...Well condolezza--I lost all respect for your opinion.....

[nee]

11:18 AM on 04/15/2012

Immigrants aren't the enemy - ILLEGAL ALIENS and those who hire them are! They are taking BILLIONS of tax dollars that we need to use on our own CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants.
They are also taking jobs that our CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants want and NEED!

[ay1371]

01:47 PM on 04/15/2012

haha tell that to ALL of the presidents(25+++ yrs now) tell the congress--tell the justice dept--tell the federal courts.What MOST americans know..ILLEGAL LAWBREAKERS are being protected by our government.. and are costing us BILLIONS weekly..They are a totla shame as government officials that take an oath to adhere to the constitution and LAWS of this country...They are a shamless group of elected(and appointed) officials that are NOT abiding by our laws and they don`t give a darn either--Our government has let in 20 million lawbreakers to undermine our society--so that the offocials can controll every american with high unemployment --welfare--food stamps etc...This way the officials can get elected by the lawbreakers--welfare recipents and all that are living ogg the freebees given by the govt...

[Slvtree]

06:11 AM on 04/15/2012

Immigrants are not the enemy illegal immigrants are

[dbell540]

05:44 AM on 04/15/2012

Uh, maybe when they started invading the country illegally in unsustainable numbers with dire consequences vis-a-vis our environment, labor market, balkanization (press one for English), terrorism, and indeed our very viability as a nation state given resulting demographics. Something globalist, elitist open borders/cheap labor Republicans, like Rice, and labor/environment betraying, vote pandering Dems wouldn't understand.