--- description: "My view has changed. I'm flat out saying it," the Wisconsin governor said title: Scott Walker Changes Position on Immigration as 2016 Nears image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2852a48d6942245/6987816f35ba6fa57fc07528/cpac-conservative-republican-mark-peterson-8-scott-walker.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scott Walker Changes Position on Immigration as 2016 Nears by [Dan Hirschhorn](/author/dan-hirschhorn/) ## Dan Hirschhorn Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 1, 2015 9:09 PM CUT  Scott Walker poses for photographs with supporters at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Scott Walker poses for photographs with supporters at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015.Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME by [Dan Hirschhorn](/author/dan-hirschhorn/) ## Dan Hirschhorn Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 1, 2015 9:09 PM CUT Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker [said in a new interview](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/01/walker-my-view-has-changed-on-immigration-reform/ "undefined") that he has changed his position and now opposes a path to citizenship for immigrants in the U.S. illegally, a policy shift that comes as the Republican is emerging as a conservative favorite in the 2016 presidential race. “My view has changed. I’m flat-out saying it,” Walker said during an interview on _Fox News Sunday_. “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. We ultimately need to put in place a system that works. A legal immigration system that works.” [The acknowledgement](http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday-chris-wallace/2015/03/01/gov-walker-cpac-record-wisconsin-rep-scalise-talks-dhs-funding-fight "undefined") came after host Chris Wallace aired a clip of Walker in 2013, when he was asked about a system that would allow undocumented immigrants to get citizenship and responded, “I think it makes sense.” ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. Brian Snyder—Reuters “I don’t believe in amnesty,” Walker said Sunday. Walker, admired by conservatives for his victories over organized labor in Wisconsin, has been rising in polls in early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire, and immigration policy is an area where he can differentiate himself from one of his top likely rivals, [former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush](http://time.com/3726729/jeb-bush-conservatives-cpac/ "undefined"). Walker [finished second in a straw poll of conservative activists](http://time.com/3727432/rand-paul-scott-walker-cpac/ "undefined") at a weekend conference in Washington, coming behind Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul. “Candidates can say that,” Walker added in acknowledging the immigration shift. “Sometimes they don’t.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3727734/scott-walker-immigration-reform-2016-election-cpac/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3727734/scott-walker-immigration-reform-2016-election-cpac/"},"headline":"Scott Walker Changes Position on Immigration as 2016 Nears","datePublished":"2015-03-01T21:09:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:42.614Z","description":"\"My view has changed. 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