Tipton stumps with Tancredo, discusses immigration reform

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Matt Hildner
Daily Press Writer

MONTROSE — Republican Scott Tipton elevated immigration reform as a part of his campaign last week by hitching his wagon to one of the country’s loudest proponents of reform.

Tipton, a Cortez businessman seeking to unseat Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, brought along Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo on a two-day swing of the Western Slope that passed through Montrose on Friday.

Although the U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill that would build 700 miles of fence along the country’s southern border, Tancredo believes there’s more to do on the issue, such as passing bills to address “anchor baby provisions,” cities and towns that don’t report illegal immigrants and the institution of identity cards.


Both Tancredo and Tipton believe it’s only fair the government give employers better tools in identifying illegals.

“We just can’t have it both ways, saying we’re going to make employers liable if we don’t give them the tools to work with,” Tipton said.

Both Tancredo and Salazar voted for the Real ID Act of 2005, but the measure has stalled in a Senate subcommittee.

Local agricultural producers have often called for expanding the visa system that allows guest workers to work the harvest.

Tipton, however, said that shouldn’t be the first priority in immigration reform.

“The first thing we need to do is make sure that we’ve done everything we possibly can to secure our borders,” he said.

While Salazar voted for H.R. 4437, which would build the border fence, Tipton’s campaign was critical of him for supporting a bill that has yet to reach the House floor that would provide amnesty to agricultural workers.

The Colorado Legislature recently just concluded a special session that would deny most state services to undocumented immigrants. But Tancredo said the federal government needs to step up.

“In Colorado, why in the world would we have a special session on immigrration? Because the federal government is AWOL and because the people of this state are ticked off,” he said.