http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2005/10 ... 698888.txt

Candidate touts illegal immigration solution
By Ed Tibbetts

Stemming the tide of illegal immigration requires bolstering border patrols, quick deportations and giving prison time to officials in U.S. companies who repeatedly hire undocumented workers, Brian Kennedy, an Iowa congressional candidate, said Monday. {Yes, Yes someone gets it}

Kennedy, one of three Republicans running for the party’s 1st District nomination, said voters are constantly demanding that something be done about illegal immigration. And he announced a four-point plan Monday to get at the problem.

There are about 11 million undocumented people in the United States, with more than half from Mexico, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report from last March. In some border states the outcry over illegal border crossings is so intense that groups of private citizens have begun patrolling.

In Iowa, illegal immigration is, at least, a potent political issue. Kennedy, a Bettendorf lawyer, is the second candidate for Congress in the 12-county district to unveil a plan aimed at the issue.

“It doesn’t mean you don’t let anybody in. It’s just that you have to have permission to come in,� he told reporters at LeClaire Park.

Kennedy proposed hiring 10,000 new border guards, the use of volunteer citizen groups to help the government stem illegal immigration, deporting illegal aliens within 72 hours of capture and ratcheting up employer sanctions. He also proposed a “three strikes and you’re out� provision, in which company officers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants could face prison time upon the third violation. {I say it should be one strike, but hey it's a start}

A month ago, Mike Whalen, a rival, proposed a plan to help businesses weed out undocumented workers by devising a system that quickly tags people who are trying to use phony documents to get a job.

Kennedy said his plan was more far-reaching and thoughtful.

“Mine’s a far more comprehensive solution,� he said. “His was a small idea.� He also likened Whalen’s plan to the creation of a national identification card, which some have objected to as an intrusion upon individual freedoms.

Whalen rejected the notion that making it easier for companies to verify application documents amounted to a “big brother� intrusion on rights. And he objected to the idea of boosting sanctions against employers when the federal government makes it easy for illegal aliens to get jobs with forged documents that companies can’t verify.

“Until employers who act in good faith have a system to check on (prospective employees) it’s ridiculous to talk about increased sanctions,� Whalen said.

He also said there may not be a need for more border guards if it is more difficult for undocumented workers to get jobs. {Disagree, not every illegal is just merely here to find work. Think about it}

Kennedy said the illegal aliens who want citizenship here should begin that path in their home country. Gaining citizenship, he added, should also be conditioned on learning the English language and the “history, values (and) culture� of the United States.

In addition to Kennedy and Whalen, Iowa Rep. Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, is running for the GOP nomination. Four Democrats are seeking their party’s nod.

Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at

(563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com.