Immigration Reform: Lighting A T-FIRE

Posted: 1:17 AM Aug 12, 2007
Last Updated: 1:17 AM Aug 12, 2007
Reporter: Kim Bedford
http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/9105566.html
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Morristown (WVLT) -- As you may have heard, the Department of Homeland Security plans to raise the fines for companies who hire, or
refuse to fire illegal immigrants.

On Saturday afternoon, one East Tennessee community was looking at what it and the state can do on our own.


Chants professing allegiance to the United States of America rained down as patriotic Morristown residents met at the VFW to discuss the problems their community and the state is having with illegal immigrants.

"It's just about Hispanics," said Morristown resident James Coffey, "They took our county over, they took over certain parks, and just about everything."

"If they're going to come to the United States, they need to push the wagon," said Cathy Hensley, also of Morristown. "They don't need to get on the wagon."

"Immigration and customs enforcement come by every two or three weeks and pick up a group of illegal aliens and haul them out," said Wayne Dollar, a member of Tennesseans for Immigration Reform & Education (T-FIRE).

State Representative Stacey Campfield came to address the immigration issue to about 40 concerned citizens.

"We've got to demagnetize Tennessee," Campfield said. "We need to get away from being a haven for illegal immigrants."

Campfield says too many of our state leaders are in denial that illegal immigration is a problem here...

"A lot of other states are putting in laws," he said. "Georgia just put in laws and all of the people who were tracked down in Georgia, all came to Tennessee because we haven't enforced any laws. We haven't put in place any laws."

But some say the problem is that the laws in place right now aren't being enforced.

"I think the politicians are giving away our country," James said. "The laws that are in effect would work, but they want to create new ones and I don't understand that."

"Every freaking one of you that's in office, we ought to kick you to the curb and let other people in there," Cathy said.

She says while Campfield's doing his part, it seems no other leaders are concerned.

"Everybody's going to have to kick their government out," she said, "the ones that aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing."

"I know it's only going to get worse," Campfield said. "The people are the ones who really have to step up and make a difference."

You can learn more about T-FIRE by clicking on the link below.
http://www.t-fire.org/