Published: September 02, 2008 09:50 am      

The Political Spirit Week 2: Representative candidates air views on illegal immigration

Editor’s note: Each Monday, the Daily Progress will publish a question-and-answer story featuring District 11 state representative hopefuls Chuck Hopson (Democrat incumbent) and Brian Walker (Republican challenger).



By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

JPD: What steps need to be taken to properly secure our borders?

Walker: The state of Texas must no longer wait for the federal government to fix our immigration problem. I am tired of politicians always blaming the federal government when more can be done here in Texas to solve our own problems. Oklahoma and Arizona provide us with an excellent example of effective legislation that the State of Texas can pass. First, Texas must increase our presence on the border. Secondly, we should increase penalties on businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens. Thirdly, we should require our local jails to perform Homeland Security background checks on all inmates and turn over to INS any and all illegal aliens in our jail systems. Fourthly, we must require state agencies to verify the citizenship of people applying to receive state benefits. Finally, and most importantly, we should stop providing incentives for illegal immigrants to come into our state.

My opponent has been in Austin for eight years and has not addressed the immigration issue. While he campaigns as though he is tough on illegal immigration, he continues to go down in Austin and votes for legislation that makes the problem worse. To name just a few, he voted for in-state tuition for illegal aliens, which allows illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer dollars to attend Texas colleges and universities. Think about this for just one second. Illegal immigrants are receiving benefits that even some Texans cannot receive. Is this fair? This is money that should go to deserving legal residents of our state. He also voted three separate times against voter identification laws that would prevent illegal aliens from voting in our elections. He also voted for a bilingual education program in Texas schools — requiring our schools to teach students in Spanish and English.

We don’t need leaders in Austin who say they will be tough on immigration, then vote for legislation that gives taxpayer dollars to illegal aliens and requires our schools to cater to the children of illegal immigrants. As state representative, I will oppose these efforts to give away our tax dollars to illegal aliens and will fight to keep our borders secure.

Hopson: Illegal immigration is a federal issue, but also a state problem. There is no homeland security without border security. As a state, we have taken this message to Washington, D.C. for the last seven years but it has largely fallen on deaf ears. Our national leaders have not addressed their responsibilities nor do they seem to care.

That is why, in 2005, we started taking things into our own hands. From Operation Wrangler to Operation Border Star we are now fighting the battle for the border. Drug cartels have been confronted and human smuggling is down but at a huge price to our state. In 2007, we authorized $110 million dollars to beef up these programs and develop new technologies that will be used in the future. This is money from Texas taxpayers that I believe the federal government owes us back. I have sponsored legislation calling on the federal government to refund this money.

We need to elect national leaders that are in touch with our needs. If you don't know how they feel, ask them before November 4th. If Congress is not going to enforce the laws, they need to give us the resources and authority to do it ourselves.

JDP: Why is it important to reform our current immigration system?

Hopson: The U.S. Government believes there are more than 12 million illegal aliens in our country. This has to change. Our current immigration system is a complete failure. The problem is not just the burden that illegal immigrants put on our schools and Healthcare system, it’s the violent crime the illegal immigration industry brings to our communities. Powerful and ruthless Mexican crime organizations such as the Gulf, Juarez and Sinaloa cartels dominate the lucrative U. S. drug and human smuggling market. They are a significant threat to the safety of Texans and the nation as a whole.

Using former military commandos for protection, these cartels rely on trans-national gangs such as MS-13, the Texas Syndicate and the Mexican Mafia to support their operations on both sides of the border. Mexican gangs are moving weapons across the bordering such as sniper rifles, shoulder-fired rockets and automatic machine guns. These cartels are a serious threat to our safety as they ferry their human cargo, drugs and contraband into our state. They have declared war on us, and we must declare war on them.

Walker: We need real leadership in Austin that will stand up for the values of East Texas and not provide empty promises. We can no longer sit idly by and watch as nothing is done with this problem. If anyone thinks that our current immigration system is fine, then they do not understand the problems our great state currently faces with illegal immigration. Additional reform is imperative for the future of our state because too much is at stake. Our jobs, schools and state programs should benefit those who are legal citizens of our state. We should not cater to people who have entered our state illegally, but that is precisely what my opponent has done. In eight years, my opponent has done nothing to reform our immigration system, and he has supported policies that give illegal immigrants taxpayer benefits. He represents the roadblock to real immigration reform, as he has sat on the sidelines for too long and done nothing. I will promise that as your next state representative, illegal immigration will be one of my top priorities, and I will not make excuses on why we can't change the system, I will work everyday to reform our immigration system.

JDP: Does our current system of open immigration pose a threat to our national security?

Walker: Absolutely!!! Texas has a long and porous border, which poses a direct threat to our national security. Drug gangs use our borders to move drugs into our cities, and terrorists can easily walk across the border today. The Texas Legislature needs to do more to protect Texans and increase our border security. I no longer have any faith that the federal government will act, so we must do something here in Texas.

We need to increase our funding for DPS personnel and equipment on the border, especially K-9 units, so that we can catch drug traffickers and other criminals who are illegally crossing our border. We must also declare zero tolerance on illegal immigration and do everything we can to reduce the cost of illegal immigration to Texas taxpayers.

My opponent talks about illegal immigration, but hasn't done anything about it. He has repeatedly voted against legislation designed to stop illegal immigrants from taking advantage of our resources. Our state legislature must work to turn off the magnet that is attracting illegal immigrants across our border. As your next state representative I will not just talk tough on illegal immigration, but I will work with leaders in the Texas House to stop people from illegally crossing our border.

Hopson: In addition to narco-traffickers and violent criminals, U.S. Intelligence tells us that terrorists also consider the Texas-Mexico border a prime route into the heart of American. Since March of 2006, more than 434 illegal aliens from terrorism-related countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq, have been arrested crossing the Texas-Mexico border.

In short, our border has been under increasing pressure from those who consider our southern boundary a conduit for their contraband, a gateway to illicit opportunity and a curtain behind which to hide when they have fled apprehension.

JDP: How do you feel about vigilante militias, like the Minutemen, patrolling the border in areas where the federal government does not?

Hopson: I believe vigilante militias have every right to patrol our border. As long as the federal government is not doing their job, others must step up. I do not believe that these groups should put themselves in dangerous situations but should track illegal crossings and report them to the proper authorities. They should not attempt to apprehend these criminals.

Walker: In an ideal word, there will be no need for anyone but our own government to patrol our border. However, people have decided to act, because our government has failed to protect its own citizens. I cannot blame people like these who have no other choice but to do what our government has failed to. If our state legislature works to solve this problem, then there will be no need for vigilante groups like this. Unfortunately, this is not the case. However, I strongly expect everyone to follow the laws of our state and nation, and these groups are no exception As long as they abide by all the laws of our state when patrolling our border, then they are not the problem, our governments failure to do its job is.

JDP: In your opinion, should anchor babies be given citizenship?

Walker: I absolutely oppose giving citizenship to anchor babies. As your next state representative, I will work with our Congressmen to change our government’s policy on anchor babies. I will also strongly support and author legislation to take away the incentives that keep illegal immigrants and their children in our state. Unlike my opponent, I will work to punish businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and will vote against any legislation that would give taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants.

Hopson: Illegal is illegal. If a child is born in the United States and that child's parents are illegal, than that child is also illegal.

JDP: Should illegal immigrants currently living in America receive amnesty and social security benefits?

Hopson: Illegal is illegal. They should not receive amnesty and they should not receive social security benefits. They should not receive Medicaid. They should not receive food stamp or other social program benefits. Illegal is illegal.

Walker: Absolutely not, and as state representative, I would work with our Congressmen to oppose any efforts towards amnesty or legislation that provides illegal immigrants with social security benefits.

Providing amnesty sends the wrong signal to those people who have broken our laws to enter this state. We must turn off the magnet that attracts illegals into our state and country, not encourage them. Amnesty is basically telling every illegal immigrant that it is ok you broke the law. When legal citizens in this country break the law, we punish them. Why should illegal immigrants get a get out of jail free card, when others do not? My opponent might support the idea of treating illegal immigrants to better treatment and benefits then legal citizens, but I will never support this. I will work everyday down in our Capitol. I will never support efforts to give illegal immigrants better treatment than U.S. citizens.

JDP: What can be done locally to ensure area businesses don't employ aliens?

Walker: Our state must provide businesses with the tools necessary to verify the legal status of all employees. The State of Texas must work in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and local enforcement to ensure that businesses have access to any system that can verify an employee’s legal status. There are methods currently available, but are not easily accessible to businesses. The State of Texas must inform businesses of these tools and help provide additional avenues for businesses to check the legal status of all employees.

However, empty promises will not be enough, we must act. We must vote for a state representative who will not say one thing in the district, then do something else in Austin. Since my opponent has been a state representative, there has been a steady increase in the number of illegal immigrants in Cherokee County and House District 11. He has not made any real effort in the last eight years to address this problem, even as some of these illegal immigrants commit crimes against legal residents of our state. This will no longer work for our local businesses. We need real action, not empty Austin rhetoric. To learn more about my plan for illegal immigration, you can view my three part video series on illegal immigration at www.voteforwalker.com.

Hopson: There needs to be a simple fool-proof electronic system run by the federal government so that a local business can submit on-line the vital stats of a prospective employee to learn within a short time (less than five minutes) whether the person is legally in our country or not. Then if the employer knowingly hires anyone who fails the federal employee test, they should be subjected to criminal penalties. We need to stop the illegal job magnet.