Immigration reform news 2015 –Jeb Bush tells Telemundo he would create pathway to legal status although with conditions

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appeared in his first Spanish-language interview since joining the 2016 presidential race, speaking candidly with Telemundo's José Díaz-Balart on Monday about his bilingual family, comprehensive immigration reform, and Donald Trump's "vulgar" comments towards Latinos.

Rarely do White House hopefuls - especially conservative candidates - step off the campaign trail for Spanish networks, but Bush did so at a time when his party continues to demean an ever-growing Hispanic voter base that may decide next fall's election. Bush said he supports creating a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants currently on U.S. soil, but he fell short of specifically saying they would gain citizenship.

"For the 11 million people [here illegally], they must come out of the shadows, receive work visas, start paying taxes and also pay a small fine, learn English, don't receive government benefits. But they come out of the shadows and they receive legal status after some time," Bush said, adding he would make it a reality if elected president.

His left-leaning stance contrasts with other prominent GOP contenders who emphasize increased border security over amnesty. Trump, in particular, staunchly opposes any form of immigration reform, demeaning the Mexican immigrants he calls criminals and rapists.

"This makes the solving of this problem much more difficult when we have politicians talking like that," Bush said. "Besides that, he was offending millions of people that are here legally. It makes no sense. In a political sense, it's bad and it creates an environment that is worse."

Portions of Bush's "Noticiero Telemundo" interview reverted back to English, but his message was clear to Spanish-speakers: he is here to fight for Latinos. Though that always hasn't been the case.

Last April, Bush said he would overturn President Obama's executive action on immigration allowing millions of undocumented parents to temporarily stave off deportation. He went so far as to say he would undo a slew of Obama's immigration reform efforts in his first week in office.

While he believes immigrants can boost economic growth and illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border out of an "act of love" for their families, Bush argued - in 2013 - that they should never be eligible for American citizenship.

"It is absolutely vital to the integrity of our immigration system that actions have consequences - - in this case, that those who violated the law can remain but cannot obtain the cherished fruits of citizenship," Bush wrote in his book "Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution."

He continued, "To do otherwise would signal once again that people who circumvent the system can still obtain the full benefit of American citizenship."

The comments drew ire from both Democrats and Republicans who caught contradictions between his book and previous public comments.

A large segment of Monday's interview focus on his very Hispanic family - as Bush put it - and how his children were taunted because of their skin color.

"I remember one time when my son went to Ocala to play in a baseball game and the team was from Miami. The majority were Hispanics - my son George has brown skin," Bush said. "At one point, I had to describe, or tell him that people like him aren't the majority. You need to accept it, but move on."

Bush's wife, Columba, is from Mexico and encourages their children to speak Spanish in the house. He said Hispanic influence is an important part of his life.

"It was a good lesson to remember that we still don't have a country of complete justice. You can see it in African American communities too, there's still discrimination," Bush said. "But in my life, it's important to remember that."