Immigration is hot-button issue in 5th District
By Matt Murphy, mmurphy@lowellsun.com
Posted: 05/23/2010 06:38:06 AM EDT


In the back corner of Donna's Donuts on Main Street in Tewksbury, John Rock sat having a cup of coffee with several friends one recent morning when Sam Meas approached his table.

Meas, a Republican candidate for Congress in the 5th District, introduced himself and asked if anyone had any questions.

"Yeah, OK. What's your position on immigration?" Rock asked.

"It's about time the government start enforcing immigration law," Meas responded.

"Wow, you're talking with common sense," Rock said.

It was the first time, but not the last, Meas would hear the immigration question throughout the day of campaigning. Immigration, specifically illegal immigration, has once again jumped to the top of voters' concerns.

A new Arizona law requires local police to check the documents of anyone they stop or detain whom they suspect of being in the country illegally. The push for immigration reform at the national level has surged back into the spotlight, raising the prospect of illegal immigration becoming a hot-button issue in this year's Congressional races in Massachusetts.

In the 5th Congressional District, candidates say they have found illegal immigration among the biggest issues concerning voters, right along with jobs and the economy.

"People are upset. Oh, boy. They are extremely upset about this issue," said Jon Golnik, one of four Republicans running to challenge U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas this fall. The 5th District includes Shirley and Lancaster.
Tsongas said she has serious concerns about the Arizona law, both because of the drain on law-enforcement resources and the potential it creates for racial profiling.

Still, she recognized that the law's passage and similar efforts in other states reflect a growing frustration and need to tackle the issue.

"We all know we have a system that's broken that we've failed to address at the federal level," Tsongas said. "I think with the passage of financial regulatory reform there may be the opportunity now to revisit immigration reform. The House is looking to the Senate to take the lead, but there is clearly deep frustration with the federal government for not taking action."

Golnik said the government needs to enforce existing laws: "That means securing the borders and turning off the magnets that attract illegal immigrants, the biggest being employment."

In interviews with MediaNews Group, the Republicans in the 5th District race said they support Arizona's attempts to deal with illegal immigration problem.

They all said America needs to secure its borders, crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and then deal with the tens of millions of immigrants already living in the country illegally. All said they opposed amnesty for those already in the country, but none had specific solutions for dealing with those immigrants.

"That's a tough question for me, because we don't know what the size of the population will be after we start aggressively enforcing our immigration laws," Golnik said. "But amnesty will be the biggest magnet of all."

Tsongas called it "unfeasible" to think the government can deport millions of illegal immigrants, or force them to leave voluntarily.

"We need a process that's tough, focused on border security, holds employers accountable and requires those living hear illegally to earn their citizenship by paying taxes, learning English, paying a fine and going to the back of the line," she said.

A recent survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports showed that 41 percent of Bay State voters favor a law like Arizona's. Forty-eight percent oppose such a law, while 11 percent are not sure.


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