GOP Contenders Tackle Illegal Immigration
Thompson said that’s where the hard work would start and conceded he doesn’t have any easy solutions.
“We don’t want to punish a child for a parent’s decision,” he said, “but we need to ensure we’re spending our resources appropriately.”
North Carolina, Pendergraph said, is already paying a heavy price because of illegal immigration, referencing a study released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform that pegged the annual cost at $2.1 billion.
“That’s about the same as our (state) budget deficit,” Pendergraph said. “Why can’t our legislators and our commissioners put those two numbers together and figure out that’s one of the reasons we’re in such a big hole financially?”
Pendergraph said that in addition to its financial impact, illegal immigration contributes to myriad crime problems and threatens national security. He pointed to Arizona as a case in point.
“Anybody who is foolish enough to think our southern border is safe,” he said, “is just that – foolish.”
Vaca, the community organizer, bristled at tying illegal immigration to crime and cited reports that showed crime rates are on the decline in North Carolina and across the country.
But Ramirez, a former county commissioner, said he’s seen firsthand the negative impact illegal immigration and associated crime problems have had on local communities.
That drew a rebuke from Maudia Melendez, executive director of Jesus Ministry in Charlotte, who peppered the GOP candidates with criticisms during the press conference’s question-and-answer session. She described herself as a “disappointed” Republican and blasted the candidates for targeting immigrants for political gain.
“You cannot, Dan, as a Latino, continue to dehumanize our community,” Melendez scolded Ramirez.
“I’m not doing that,” countered Ramirez, a legal immigrant from Columbia. He said there was a clear distinction between legal and illegal immigration and that laws meant to deal with the latter should be enforced.
“What happens is the people from the other side,” Ramirez said, referencing protests that have erupted over Arizona’s controversial immigration law, “they are inciting the Hispanic community to rebel against all the issues of upholding the law.”
Thompson reiterated a similar point.
“Many conveniently seem to lose sight of the word ‘illegal’ that precedes ‘immigration’ in this discussion,” he said. “Let’s not overlook that. This issue is based solely on upholding the law, something that every American should expect from their government at all levels – federal, state and local.”
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