On Wednesday’s “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stated that people who have been in the US illegally for a long period of time won’t get citizenship “have to pay taxes, there’s no amnesty as such. There’s no amnesty. But we work with them.”

Trump was asked, [relevant exchange begins around 3:30] “[Y]ou’re not a criminal alien, you committed no crimes, but you didn’t respect our laws and sovereignty. You also seem to be indicating there might be something other than they have to go back. Am I reading that right?”

He answered, “Look, we have to follow the laws of our country.”

Trump then asked the audience what should be done about people who have been in the US for a long time and has been “terrific.”

After asking this question of his audience two more times, Trump was asked, “So, you’re saying there is — and you have been sort of indicating that there’ll be some flexibility that you — originally you had said they were all out, and there was a big brouhaha, but you’re saying that if somebody can prove that they’ve been here, proven to be a citizen, but here’s the big question, though, no citizenship?”

Trump responded, “No citizenship. Let me go a step further, they’ll pay back taxes, they have to pay taxes, there’s no amnesty as such. There’s no amnesty. But we work with them. Now, okay, but when I look at the rooms, and I have this all over, now everybody agrees we get the bad ones out, but when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject, and I’ve had very strong people come up to me, really great, great people come up to me, and they’ve said, Mr. Trump, I love you, but to take a person that’s been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and the family out, it’s so tough, Mr. Trump. I mean, I’ve — I have it all the time. It’s a very, very hard thing.”

Trump then polled the audience again, when asked what was in his gut, Trump stated that asking the audience was “like a poll.” And “We are going to come out with a decision very soon.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett