www.thespectrum.com

Article published Aug 26, 2005
Congressman speaks out on illegals

Tancredo: Illegal immigration isn't race issue, it's about saving the U.S.

By BRIAN PASSEY
bpassey@thespectrum.com
ST. GEORGE - Possible presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. - one of the leading voices in Congress on securing the nation's borders - spoke Thursday afternoon at the St. George Holiday Inn about problems caused by illegal immigration and possible solutions.

The local Citizens Council on Illegal Immigration invited Tancredo to St. George. He was accompanied by his campaign manager, Bay Buchanan, a conservative television commentator and a former U.S. treasurer during the Reagan era.

Although the packed convention center was filled mostly with white faces, a few members of the Hispanic community showed up to hear the controversial congressman. Among them was Arturo Del Toro, a first- generation immigrant from Mexico and a self-described "big fan" of Buchanan, herself a strong voice against illegal immigration.

Del Toro said he came to "answer the bogus question of racism," saying immigration is good when it is done legally. But not all Hispanics support illegal immigration, he said.

"I think there's a misrepresentation of Hispanics," Del Toro said. "Most Hispanics are law-abiding."

Among his first remarks, Tancredo also addressed the issue of alleged racism among those who are fighting against illegal immigration.

"It has nothing to do with race," he said. "It has everything to do with saving our country."

Tancredo said the "bizarre" philosophy of what he calls the "cult of multiculturalism" is hindering the progress against illegal immigration. He said the media is infected with this "cult" and his colleagues are petrified to talk strongly about illegal immigration because it is not politically correct.

He also talked about legal immigrants coming to the United States but do not want to become "Americans," resulting in dual citizenships. Tancredo used an example of his grandmother who came to the United States from Italy to become an American, not an Italian-American.

He said there are more than 10 million U.S. citizens with dual citizenships in another country - something he disagrees with. He said many immigrants come into the United States for purely economic reasons, not to become true citizens.

"I don't like dual citizenship," he said. "If you can't figure out what country you belong to, I would rather have you go away and not come back until you want to be an American."

Tancredo said the United States already is a country with a lot of diversity in other ways. He said those different backgrounds separate the citizens enough without having to worry about dual citizenship.

"We need at least one thing that holds us together," he said. "At least the ideal and idea of America should hold us together."

As Tancredo spoke more passionately as his speech progressed, his voice often rose to near-yelling level. But with every strong statement, he was greeted by a burst of applause from the audience and eventually a standing ovation from the crowd when he finished.

Buchanan, who spoke briefly before Tancredo, focused on direct threats to safety caused by open borders. She especially questioned why the borders are "wide open" following terrorist attacks like those of Sept. 11, 2001.

"Why can the president make a case that we are threatened as a people and leave our borders wide open?" she asked. "Washington, D.C., ignores us. They don't give a hoot."

Buchanan alleged that many policy-makers only listen to their corporate friends. She said there were not many leaders in Congress, but she had the pleasure of working for one of the few: Tancredo.

Also during the event, Phyllis Sears, president of the Citizens Council on Illegal Immigration, spoke briefly and announced the latest "Utah Business Patriots" - local business owners the council recognizes for hiring U.S. citizens or legal workers.

Sears also recognized some local politicians in attendance, including county commissioners James Eardley and Alan Gardner, and thanked them for having the courage to attend the event.

And in a statement that prompted an eruption of laughter from the audience, Sears announced there was a door prize: A free trip to Mexico.

"It's not going to cost us very much because you are walking," she said, jokingly.

The door prize really was a book.