Obama on Immigration, Border Crisis: "That Could Be My Child"

Former President Obama speaks about U.S. immigration policy at an event Tuesday in Johannesburg to commemorate Nelson Mandela.

FMR. PRESIDENT OBAMA: It's not wrong to insist that national borders matter, whether you're a citizen or not is going to matter to a government, that laws need to be followed, that in the public realm newcomers should make an attempt to adapt to the language and customs of their new home... but that can't be an excuse for immigration policies based on race or ethnicity or religion. There's gotta be some consistency. And we can enforce the law while respecting the essential humanity of those who are striving for a better life. For a mother with a child in her arms, we can recognize that could be somebody in our family, that could be my child.