Immigration Important, But Not Primary's Issue, Huckabee Says

By Doug Thompson
The Morning News
ROGERS -- Illegal immigration is an important issue in the Republican presidential primary, but not the only issue, candidate and former governor Mike Huckabee said Tuesday.

"It's a big issue from one end of the country to the other with no exceptions," Huckabee said. He was in Rogers to attend a fundraiser hosted in the home of Rogers businessman Bill Schwyhart.

"I believe in border security," Huckabee said. "Every time I go to the Little Rock airport, which is several times a week now, I have to show ID. They know me and call me by my name, but get my ID. We need to know who's coming into the country, whether they have any communicable diseases, a criminal background or on a terror list whether they're from Guatemala or Sri Lanka."

However, the legal means to immigrate need improvement, Huckabee said. "There's no need for seven years of paperwork. There is a need for people who will do jobs after our citizens have had first crack at them."

As for those who are already in the United States illegally, Huckabee said, "I don't believe in amnesty. There does need to be restitution, and a way to make sure they don't jump in front of people who have been trying to get into the country legally."

The big issues in the presidential primary are traditional Republican ones: pro-life, pro-family, lower taxes and strong support of the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms. "Candidates who give the wrong answer on any of those questions are going to have a hard time," Huckabee said.

The critical votes in the primary are early tallies in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, said Huckabee, who showed 1 percent support in a FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll released Friday. "It's the early votes that are important, which is why these national polling results don't give a good picture," he said.

On the Iraq War, Huckabee said he was opposed to any timeline for withdrawal and would rely on the advice of military leaders and a commitment to the troops in making decisions. A Baptist minister, Huckabee said his religious background would be an advantage in Middle Eastern relations.

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