Thread: TX: Hispanic Republicans in House walk fine line on border i

Hispanic Republicans in House walk fine line on border issues

Some say they aren't in favor of some anti-immigrant bills filed by GOP, want feds to make the laws.

By Jay Root ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: 8:48 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011


As a Republican, state Rep. Aaron Peña is expected to take a hard line on immigration. But as a Latino who represents a heavily Hispanic district along the U.S.-Mexico border, the South Texas lawyer finds some of the anti-immigrant proposals in the Legislature to be unfair and unnecessarily harsh.

Peña is among a handful of new Latino Republicans in the Texas Legislature, and they are taking a careful walk through the minefield of hot-button immigration and cultural wedge issues that are sure to spark debate — and possibly legal reforms — in the Legislature this year.

Several of them were scheduled to meet as a group Wednesday with state Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is helping lead a Latino outreach effort, aides said. Abbott's eventual advice on the legality of some of the immigration bills could be a key factor in what happens to them in the Legislature.

The Hispanic Republicans don't all share the same opinion on every bill. But with generally more moderate views on everything from English-only proposals to legislation that would deny birth certificates to illegal immigrants' children, the lawmakers are challenging the GOP to think in new ways about issues that stir Hispanic passions.

Peña, for example, thinks it's an awful idea to deny illegal immigrants the right to sue in state court. He said the measure, sponsored by GOP Rep. Leo Berman of Tyler , would invite unwarranted abuse against people, even if they are here illegally.

"It allows people to treat other people like animals, and it invites chaos," said Peña of Edinburg, who was a longtime Democrat before switching parties in December.

He opposes legislation that seeks to deny the rights of citizenship to people born in the U.S. and takes a dim view of "English-only" bills, depending on how they're written.

"I wouldn't see the need for that in El Paso," Republican GOP Rep. Dee Margo said, referring to bills that might restrict the use of Spanish. Margo, whose grandfather was Hispanic, represents an El Paso County border district that is almost 60 percent Latino.

Berman, the Tyler Republican who has filed several bills aimed at illegal immigrants, said his ideas are popular among most of his fellow Republican legislators. He said the U.S. Constitution never should have been interpreted to allow the children of foreigners to be granted automatic citizenship and that states should be able to protect citizens from lawsuits filed by people here illegally.

But Rep. John Garza of San Antonio worries that the heated rhetoric surrounding the immigration issue could hurt Republicans like him. Garza squeaked out a narrow upset victory in November against a Democrat in a district that is 64 percent Hispanic.

"I have to be careful. My constituency is not all Republican," Garza said, adding that he wants the federal government — not the Texas Legislature — to enact immigration reforms.

"In my district, immigration was down on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of issues," he said. "We need to be inclusive if we want to gain the Hispanic vote."

Garza is among the lawmakers joining the Hispanic Republican Conference, which Peña chairs.

The group, formed last week, plans to take positions on specific immigration bills and other issues if two-thirds of its members agree, Peña said. The group includes six members who identify themselves as Hispanic and three Anglos in districts that are at least 40 percent Hispanic.

The state Democratic Party isn't impressed.

Anthony Gutierrez, the state party's deputy executive director, said: "Peña and his friends are not only politically opportunistic, they're outright hostile to the Hispanic Texans they purport to represent. We need leaders with the courage to fight for us, not a Republican club pandering to us while its members stand right alongside the very people attacking our community."

www.statesman.com

Where is the headline " White politicians walk a fine line"? Time to stop putting race before citizenship.

They are hard to find and there are very few hispanic politicians that do not look first to race and ethnicity

That is how they are taking over this country

Originally Posted by Newmexican

Where is the headline " White politicians walk a fine line"? Time to stop putting race before citizenship.

Ditto...Obviously, there are some hispanics who cannot do what needs to be done regarding this invasion because of some misguided allegiance to their raza.

If you're against illegal immigration, then none of these measures are overly "harsh."

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

They are hard to find and there are very few hispanic politicians that do not look first to race and ethnicity

That is how they are taking over this country

Ditto as well....they stick together and remain loyal to their raza and it's causing a huge problem in this country!

El Paso County border district that is almost 60 percent Latino.

But only 30% are eligible to vote.

El Paso: 51% of population are illegal aliens. UTEP March 2006 study.
Ranked the 4th highest population living in poverty. US Census.

Dixie