A number of likely 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls are making a point to publicly renounce their previously held views on immigration.
The GOP is currently on its last leg in the fight to overturn President Barack Obama's controversial executive actions on immigration, which provides deportation amnesty and some federal benefits to nearly 5 million illegal immigrants.
The Obama administration on Wednesday asked a federal Texas judge to decide by Monday if he will place a hold on his previous decision to block the White House's executive actions on immigration, reported Reuters. Twenty-six states are currently involved in the lawsuit to have the amnesty program overturned.
Being that it's an extremely hot issue right now, generally well-received Republicans like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are looking to appease their base and stand out in a close field.
Walker addressed the issue head on during his appearance on Fox News Sunday, admitting that he no longer believes illegal immigrants should be allowed to become citizens if appropriate penalties and waiting periods are in place, reported The Hill.
"My view has changed," Walker told host Chris Wallace. "I'm flat out saying it. Candidates can say that. Sometimes they don't ... I don't believe in amnesty."
Wallace asked, "So, you've changed from 2013?"
"Absolutely," replied Walker. "I look at the problems we've experienced for the last few years. I've talked to governors on the border and others out there. I've talked to people all across America. And the concerns I have is that we need to secure the border."
Walker continued: "We ultimately need to put in place a system that works. A legal immigration system that works. And part of doing this is put the onus on employers, getting them E-Verify and tools to do that. But I don't think you do it through amnesty."
Rubio lost some grassroots support when he came out in favor of the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform package and used some of his time at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to make amends.
"It wasn't very popular," Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity during an onstage interview.
"You have 10 or 12 million people in this country, many of whom have lived here for longer than a decade, have not otherwise violated our law other than immigration laws, I get all that," he said. "But what I've learned is you can't even have a conversation about that until people believe and know, not just believe but it's proven to them that future illegal immigration will be controlled."
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee previously supported a path to citizenship for illegal children immigrants, but now, the former Southern Baptist preacher opposes such a path for any illegal immigrants, becoming the first to sign a pledge to oppose such amnesty in January.
CPAC also provided Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry a chance to briefly address immigration. Perry was criticized as being too soft on the issue during his failed 2012 presidential bid, but during CPAC, he called border security a "clear and present danger to the health and safety of all Americans."
"Any conversation about comprehensive immigration reform must begin with comprehensive border security," he said. "And that's exactly why last summer I told the president, looked him right in the eye and said, 'If you will not secure the border between Texas and Mexico, Texas will.'"
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has placed at the top of numerous 2016 hopeful polls, continued at CPAC to espouse his longstanding belief that a path to legal status should be provided for some illegal immigrants.
Bush did, however, speak on the need for increased border security, also calling Obama's executive actions presidential overreach. Both are views that most Republicans strongly agree with, but they probably won't be enough to win over the most hard line members.
