Thread: Latino Republicans Critical of Perry on Immigration Issues

Latino Republicans Critical of Perry on Immigration Issues

Peter Malof, Public News Service - TX

KATY, Texas - Gov. Rick Perry is getting squeezed from all sides when it comes to his record on immigration issues.

On Monday, while Perry listened to the concerns of New York Latino leaders, Tea Party activists converged in Austin, demanding that the governor push harder for tough immigration enforcement.

Historically, Perry has not been a hard-liner on immigration issues; for example, he has never embraced a long border fence. However, his positions evolved as he decided to seek the Republican presidential nomination, says Lauro Garza, the Texas director of Somos Republicans, the nation's largest organization for conservative Hispanics.

"We were really hanging our hopes on Rick Perry, even though we knew he was a very leaky vessel."

Garza praises Perry's small-government, pro-life conservatism, and says the governor won over many Latinos with his support of immigration reform and college opportunities for children of undocumented immigrants. But when Perry deemed so-called "Sanctuary Cities" legislation - which many considered anti-immigrant - to be a legislative "emergency," Garza felt betrayed. He fears today's GOP leaders have adopted a shortsighted strategy that caters to Tea Party "nativists" at the expense of the nation's fastest-growing demographic.

"They have lost virtually all the Latino voters that George W. Bush earned. I would struggle to find a room of Latino Republicans who would support these sorts of policies."

Garza says Perry's recent courtship of Joe Arpaio was a slap in the face. Arpaio is the Arizona sheriff who became a well-known advocate for that state's controversial immigration enforcement law, which critics call racial profiling. As recently as last year, Perry said the Arizona strategy was "not the right direction for Texas."

Perry has shifted tone on multiple immigration issues. He recently described proposals for a federal "Dream Act" as "nothing more than amnesty," even though he's on record as supporting similar citizenship paths in Texas. He also has backed-off his past calls for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) by saying it shouldn't happen until the borders are sealed. Garza says that's an impossible position.

"It's simply rhetoric. We need CIR so we can secure the border. If you don't take the load off the border, you'll never secure the border."

Garza believes Perry does understand and respect the concerns of Mexican Americans, but he says Latino voters can't afford to simply trust that a President Perry wouldn't turn his back on them.

Source: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index. ... le/22269-1

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Garza believes Perry does understand and respect the concerns of Mexican Americans, but he says Latino voters can't afford to simply trust that a President Perry wouldn't turn his back on them.

That is exactly how I feel, only for the opposite reason. GWB spoke of a hard line and did the opposite once elected. We already know Perry is an open borders supporter, so why believe anything different?

The illegal lobby is just creating a smoke screen by "pretending" not to support him. They really want their Trojan Horse in the White House.

Somos Republicans, the nation's largest organization for conservative Hispanics.

This is a huge lie. Somos Republicans is a small group made up of Dee and a few other people. They are nothing but paper tigers.

Poor Dee, she has tried and tried her best to get noticed by the GOP establishment and play the role of a Latino Uncle Tom for the Globalists but they never give her the praise she wants.

Somos Republicans is a mini front group pretending to be an actual national organization.

W

Originally Posted by GaPatriot

Garza believes Perry does understand and respect the concerns of Mexican Americans, but he says Latino voters can't afford to simply trust that a President Perry wouldn't turn his back on them.

That is exactly how I feel, only for the opposite reason. GWB spoke of a hard line and did the opposite once elected. We already know Perry is an open borders supporter, so why believe anything different?

The illegal lobby is just creating a smoke screen by "pretending" not to support him. They really want their Trojan Horse in the White House.

==========================================

Perry is trying his damndest to DIS himself from Dubya.

But on immigration, border security, NAFTA and CAFTA, if you see George W. Bush, you see Rick Perry also.

RELATED

Republican Party 2004 Campaign [targeted at Hispanics]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77JvpID0 ... ded#at=152

(make sure you rewind this to the start, it has a tendency to begin in the middle)

George W. Bush on Immigration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 16tPdgQzYk