Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, revealed on Sunday he has changed his stance on immigration.

During an interview with the Wausau Daily Herald in July 2013, Walker said he would support comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants if such individuals paid penalties. When asked his about current stance on the issue, Walker admitted he has changed his opinion.

"Well, I don't believe in amnesty," said Walker during an interview for "Fox News Sunday." "And part of the reason why I made that a firm position is I looked at the way this president has mishandled that issue. I was one of the first governors that joined the lawsuit that has been successful at least on this initial technicality and I hope we prevail ultimately throughout the courts."

Walker said amnesty is not the approach to improve the U.S. immigration system, but through enforcing laws and giving employers the tools to ensure the law is upheld.

When pressed on providing a pathway to citizenship if undocumented immigrants paid a penalty, Walker said he "believes there's a way you can do that" but added enforcement on the U.S. border is the first step.

"I'm not talking about amnesty (for the undocumented immigrants). And my view has changed. I'm flat-out saying it. Candidates can say that. Sometimes they don't," said Walker, adding he has "absolutely" changed his stance since his 2013 interview.

Walker continued, "I've looked at the problems we've experienced from the last few years. I've talked to governors on the border, and others out there, I've talked to people all across America. The concerns I have is that we have to secure the border. We ultimately need to put in place a system that works, a legal immigration system that works, and part of doing this is on employers, giving them e-verify and tools to do that, but I don't think you do it through amnesty."

Walker's interview comes after he placed second at the American Conservative Union's 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll this past week. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., won the straw poll for the third consecutive year with 25.7 percent of the votes while Walker received 21.4 percent of the 3,000 votes. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, placed third with 11.5 percent, narrowly ahead of retired neurologist Ben Carson's 11.4 percent. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush completed the top five with 8.3 percent despite mixed reception upon the utterance of his name at CPAC.

The annual four-day CPAC conference, which was held from the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, included speeches from other potential presidential candidates including Bush, Carson, Cruz, Paul and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and current New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

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