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01/13/2006
Congressman criticizes border policy
By: Kassia Micek , Courier staff


U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., told more than 200 Montgomery County residents Thursday afternoon that if the borders were beefed up and laws were enforced, illegal immigration and border security would not be as big of a problem in this country.

Texas Senate District 3 candidate David Kleimann invited Tancredo, who is a leading conservative voice in illegal immigration and border security, to a town hall meeting at the Lone Star Convention Center to speak about issues Kleimann supports.

Kleimann is a business owner in Willis who is running in the March 7 Republican primary for Texas Senate District 3.

Tancredo is the House Immigration Reform Caucus chairman and has a bill before Congress to build a 700-mile-long wall along the southern U.S. border.

"Our borders are poor and as a result we pay and we are open to attack because of it," said Tancredo, adding that if laws were enforced such problems would not exist. "Tomorrow, if the president of the United States wanted to, we could solve this problem. All he has to do is enforce the law."

Three out of five immigrants who illegally cross the border are not caught, Tancredo said. Of the illegal immigrants coming into the United States, 1,180,000 are caught, he said. Of those, 100,000 are OTMs (other than Mexicans) and 48,000 of the OTMs are from countries of interest that harbor terrorists, he said.

It costs an average of $1,500 for a Mexican national to be illegally smuggled to America; however, it costs an average of $50,000 for an OTM to get across with assistance, Tancredo said.
"Why would anybody pay $50,000 to get smuggled into the U.S.?" Tancredo asked. "I don't think it's to work at 7-11."

Tancredo said his position is not xenophobia. But the nation is becoming balkanized instead of united. He said there is a difference between immigrants today and immigrants in his grandfather's time. Back then, he said, immigrants cut ties with their native country and wanted to become an American.

"I'm not talking about not being proud of your ethnicity," said Tancredo, adding that he celebrates his Italian heritage with his grandchildren. "I'm talking about when you're so far into this that the only way you show someone how much you like their cultural is to deny your own."
Tancredo said if he could change one thing about illegal immigration, it would be to stop the employers who hire illegal immigrants because if illegal immigrants can't find a job, they don't qualify for social services and they will go home. Those who don't go home can be deported, Tancredo said.

As Tancredo spoke, several residents yelled out in support.
"I feel very strongly about our immigration problem and I feel we need to do something about it," Conroe resident BB Skipworth said after the meeting. "My biggest concern with illegal immigration is we're paying for them to go to the hospital and go to school. The biggest impact is on the taxpayers. I don't understand why the Mexican government does not pay their bills instead of us."

Glen Willis, of Montgomery, agreed with Tancredo's stance on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

"I think the most important thing he said is we got to control it within, with employers. If the source wasn't here, they wouldn't come," Willis said.
Porter resident Barbara Egan said she fully approved of targeting employers who hire illegal aliens.

"That would do more than anything, because it costs us a fortune in health care alone, and in education," she said.
However, not everyone agreed with Tancredo.

Norma Guzman Duran, who previously announced her intention to run for Conroe City Council, asked Tancredo how the nation was going to pay to deport illegal immigrants and how small business would survive without them.

"I think there needs to be a more diplomatic way to solve the problem," said Duran, adding that small-business owners rely on immigrants. "I would support a guest worker program in order to alleviate any economic repercussions."

Tancredo responded by saying he would support a very strict guest worker program if employers cannot find Americans to fill the job and have proven they tried, and program participants could only stay for a limited time, are closely monitored and cannot bring their families across.
Kleimann said he invited Tancredo because he supports his views 100 percent.

"I would love to work with the federal government and get them here to work for the state," Kleimann said after the meeting. "We need to get this under control. Let's be proactive and not reactive. Let's do something now to protect our people and not wait until we are attacked. I'm very insistent on seeing it done."

He said this is a constitutional issue and everything else the federal government battles isn't.

Kassia Micek can be reached at kmicek@mail.hcnonline.net.