This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," September 2, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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O'REILLY: Thanks for staying with us, I'm Bill O'Reilly in the "Personal Story" segment tonight, anchorman or activists on August 25th in Iowa. Univision anchorman Jorge Ramos confronted Donald Trump on immigration. We don't have to play the clips. Suffice it to say, there was a little tension. Everybody saw it. It's all over the place.
Joining us now from Miami is Jorge Ramos. So tonight, I just want to get the audience to know who you are, Jorge, you know? They may be horrified but I think I have to do it?
JORGE RAMOS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION NEWS: Maybe not. Maybe not.
O'REILLY: Absolutely.
RAMOS: Maybe, they agree with me.
O'REILLY: Question number one, question number one, you don't want a border wall. You don't want that. Okay? Why not?
RAMOS: It's a complete absurd idea, why would you want to build a 1900-mile wall between Mexico and the United States if almost 40 percent of all immigrants come by plane and they overstay their visas. So, based on some "New York Times" report, it would cost about $20 billion.
O'REILLY: Right.
RAMOS: So clearly, Mr. Trump's problems and maybe yours is with Mexicans, not with Canadians. Why do you want a border with Mexico and not with Canada? It really doesn't make any sense?
O'REILLY: We don't have an illegal immigration problem with Canada. Now, in Israel, they put up a wall to separate themselves from terrorists. Hamas, infiltrators. This and that. It worked. Millions of people have come across that border. Most notably recently the man who killed Kate Steinle who came across that border, Jorge six times. Sanchez, so, for the benefit of all the people who would like to be safe for Kate Steinle's family, I think we need to put up the wall.
RAMOS: Well, first of all, the problem with on undocumented immigrants has been civilized. In other words, it's been about 11 million people for the last six years. Now, you are talking about Kate and let me say something first of all. I think my condolences to Kate's family. As a father, I cannot even imagine what they are going through. And as Kate's brother said yesterday on this show, the system failed. Having said that, that's why they are suing the county --
O'REILLY: Yes, that's right.
RAMOS: -- and as the city of San Francisco but this is where we have a difference between you and me. I don't think that what you are opposing is going to work. I think the only thing that will work --
O'REILLY: Okay. And we respect your opinion. We respect your opinion. You don't think it will work. I think it will work. Now, we want Kate's law which would say if an aggravated felon, someone convicted of an aggravated felony in the United States who is deported and comes back, mandatory five year prison, can get more, all right, in a federal penitentiary. You support that?
RAMOS: No. Because I don't think --
O'REILLY: That's outrageous. That's outrageous.
RAMOS: -- you are approaching the problem in a global way. And this is a problem. I'm not here to be defend criminals.
O'REILLY: You are. You are an enabler.
(CROSSTALK)
Jorge, you are enabling that guy Sanchez.
RAMOS: -- to the full extent of the law. However, what you are proposing, Bill, you would be putting in jail a mother or a father.
O'REILLY: Oh, stop it. It clearly says, aggravated felony convictions.
RAMOS: And you might be putting in jail.
O'REILLY: Jorge, you not supporting Kate's law means that you don't care because all your theory, and all your stuff isn't going to stop them.
RAMOS: I just think I don't agree with your idea. You have to concentrate on enforcement, background checks, at the same time you have to resolve the situation of 11 million people in this country.
O'REILLY: That's another matter, Jorge.
RAMOS: You can chew gum and walk at the same time. It's another matter.
O'REILLY: Do you believe that Mexican nationals and you were one, you came to the United States on a student visa and then, I guess, you did everything legally and you are here and you are successful.
RAMOS: I did. I'm a U.S. citizen, Bill like you are.
O'REILLY: Do you believe Mexican nationals, Guatemalan nationals, Honduran nationals have a right to come to the United States? Do you believe that?
RAMOS: They have a right to come to the United States? If they do it legally, yes.
O'REILLY: Okay. But not illegally.
RAMOS: You know, why undocumented immigrants keep coming? They keep coming for a very simple reason. We give them jobs. There are millions of Americans including you and the audience who benefit from the work. That's why they are coming and, therefore, we are also responsible for that.
O'REILLY: All right. Now, listen, so you said, you just said they have to come legally.
RAMOS: Absolutely.
O'REILLY: They can't come illegally. But you, Jorge Ramos will not punish those who have come illegally.
RAMOS: You want to criminalize a whole community for a crime that only one person did and then at the same time, we are also responsible. Do you think this are just not coming because they want to go to Disneyland, of course not.
O'REILLY: No. And I have said that many times. You don't want to hold them accountable.
RAMOS: They are coming because they are doing the jobs that nobody else wants to do. We are giving them jobs. That's why they are coming, Bill.
O'REILLY: But you can't have it both ways. You can't say they can't come illegally and then when they get here say, that's okay, you can't do that. That's absurd. Now, last question.
RAMOS: You have a huge problem with 11 million undocumented immigrants.
O'REILLY: And we can deal with it.
RAMOS: Who are not criminals. Who are not rapists. And, therefore, we have to find a solution.
O'REILLY: You have to pay a price.
RAMOS: It isn't going to work, Bill.
O'REILLY: All right. I'm not for mass deportation and you know it. All right. Now, you are an anchorman, how you can possibly cover illegal immigration fairly when you are an activist, when you are a proponent of allowing them amnesty? How can you possibly cover this story? You should excuse yourself from it ore recuse yourself from it. Or become like me, a commentator?
RAMOS: I'm just a reporter.
O'REILLY: You are not.
RAMOS: Asking questions.
O'REILLY: You are an activist.
RAMOS: Mr. O'Reilly, I don't think you are the right person to lecture me on advocacy and journalism when you spend most of your program - -
O'REILLY: I'm a commentator that's what I do.
RAMOS: -- giving opinions without asking questions. I can be tough with President Barack Obama and I can be tough with --
O'REILLY: All right. All right. People can decide themselves. They can watch your interview with Obama and they can watch my interview with Obama. And I will tell you what. My interview was 100 times harder. Now, Jorge, why don't you just become like me a commentator? You are not a news man anymore. You are an advocate now.
RAMOS: I'm simply a reporter asking questions.
O'REILLY: You are not.
RAMOS: Sometimes as a reporter you have to take a stand when it comes to racism, discrimination --
O'REILLY: You are activist.
RAMOS: -- corruption, public life --
O'REILLY: All right.
RAMOS: -- dictatorship and human rights. You have to take a stand and that's the only thing --
O'REILLY: Nobody has ever been in a reportorial range like you have been and I'm not criticizing you for your stand. I'm saying you're in the wrong job. Be a commentator. Now, I got to tell everybody --
RAMOS: No, I think that what Donald Trump is doing is very dangerous.
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: All right. That's your opinion.
RAMOS: Who is going to challenge him?
O'REILLY: Jorge, that's your opinion.
RAMOS: That is our job as reporters.
O'REILLY: No. A reporter reports, doesn't give an opinion. A commentator gives an opinion.
RAMOS: We report but we also have to challenge those who are in power.
O'REILLY: You can challenge but you -- way beyond that.
RAMOS: Of a journalist is to challenge these who are in power.
O'REILLY: Jorge, you are doing exactly what I'm doing, man, you just don't have the title. Good to see you, thanks for coming on.
RAMOS: And I appreciate this dialogue honestly. I think it's important that we have it.
O'REILLY: All right.
RAMOS: Thank you, Bill.
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