Newt Gingrich insisted Sunday that some illegal immigrants who have become full community members should be able to stay in the country , but he added that his policy would require 7 million or more to go back to their home nations before having a chance to return . Appearing on the CBS program `` Face the Nation , '' the front-running Republican presidential hopeful repeated his call for some kind of citizen review board to assess whether illegal immigrants would be eligible to get a residency permit and stay in America . Gingrich , a former House Speaker , said the American people would not tolerate the forced removal of someone who has lived in their community for 25 years , has children and grandchildren , and belongs to a local church . However , Gingrich said he expected about 1 million of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants to qualify under the review board process to remain in the country , adding that they would have to be sponsored by an American family . The rest would have to leave , Gingrich said . `` My guess is that 7 or 8 or 9 million would ultimately go home to get a guest or worker permit and return under the law , '' Gingrich said . His immigration policy has come under attack from some rival candidates who call it a form of amnesty -- a virtual dirty word for the conservative tea party movement .
Newt Gingrich says more than 7 million illegal immigrants would leave under his policy . The GOP presidential hopeful 's immigration policy has been attacked by conservatives . Citizen panels would assess which illegal immigrants were eligible to stay . Only those sponsored by American families could qualify , Gingrich says .