Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said Monday that adult illegal immigrants should not receive a path to citizenship under an immigration fix, but said she is open to giving their children citizenship.

Mrs. Fiorina, who is running for the GOP presidential nomination, also said she could support giving those who “have come here illegally and stayed here illegally” legal status.

“I think legal status is a possibility for sure,” Mrs. Fiorina said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I think their children maybe can become citizens.”

“But my own view is that it isn’t fair to say to people who have played by the rules … that you know it just doesn’t matter,” she said of giving citizenship to adult illegal immigrants.

Mrs. Fiorina said the border must be secured and called for a “fix” to the legal immigration system.

The 60-year-old has never held elected office and is struggling to gain traction in polling that will eventually determine whether she will be able to participate in the Republican National Committee’s first sanctioned debate in Ohio on Aug. 8.

Participants need to be among the top ten candidates based on an average of national polls.

The Real Clear Politics average of surveys shows Mrs. Fiorina running in 13th place.

Republicans are eager to have Mrs. Fiorina participate in the debates given that she is the only woman in the field and they believe that she could launch some of the most effective attacks against former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination.

On Monday, Mrs. Fiorina said that Mrs. Clinton delivered a contradictory speech at her first big rally since announcing she was running. Mrs. Fiorina said the address included a “long litany of left wing causes” and said that Mrs. Clinton acts like she wants to be a president for all Americans, but then “throws every Republican out there under the bus.”

“But hey, it was a good launch. It was great rally,” she said. “We should not underestimate her.”

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