Thread: From my hometown newspaper.

http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm? ... 2215&rfi=6

Local GOP delegates agree with party's platform on illegal immigration
By:Nancy Flake, Courier staff
06/06/2006
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There may be one or two sticking points they disagree with in the state Republican Party platform on illegal immigration, but two Montgomery County delegates who voted on the platform, as well as a federal lawmaker, agree with the party's stance in principle.



Delegates voted Saturday during the party's state convention in San Antonio to approve the illegal immigration platform, which calls for the deportation of all illegal immigrants in the United States, the construction of a physical barrier between the United States and Mexico and the elimination of all day labor sites, among other items.
One local man who helped the city of Conroe organize its day labor site, said eliminating such sites would leave a "bitter taste of mistrust" for those immigrants who have played by the rules and used the site to find jobs.
The platform, which was tentatively approved Thursday by a temporary platform committee, made it through the permanent committee and onto the convention floor with no changes, according to Dr. Walter Wilkerson, Montgomery County Republican Party chairman.
"I don't think any of us agree completely with everything, but the sentiment in the (state) Republican Party is pretty much in line with the platform," Wilkerson said. "(Illegal immigration is) such an emotional issue, it's hard to talk about. People want to vent their feelings; and to a great extent, the convention is where they do it."
Sonya Clover, a precinct chairwoman in Montgomery, echoed Wilkerson's sentiments. "No one's going to agree with everything; this is the Texas suggestion to the Republican Party," she said. "What we end up with may be a little different. We're talking about illegal immigrants, and it is a very strong statement. If you're a Republican, it's pretty much what we believe in."
Written with the heading of "No amnesty! No way. No how," the platform also calls for the suspension of automatic U.S. citizenship to children of illegal immigrants born in this country and the elimination of all laws requiring hospitals to give non-emergency medical care to illegal immigrants.
Wilkerson said he didn't realize until recently that citizenship was automatically given to immigrant children born here, he said.
"At one time, I might have felt differently; but I think people should earn citizenship other than being born here to illegal immigrants," he said.
As a medical doctor, Wilkerson did have doubts about the platform's statement that laws allowing hospitals to give illegal immigrants non-emergency care should be eliminated. "Who's going to say it's a non-emergency?" he asked. "What if a kid walks out the door of the emergency room and drops down dead? It's not a way to solve illegal immigration; it's an unworkable situation."
The party's "no amnesty" stance seemed "a little harsh" to Clover, who said the issue is not black and white.
"In generalities, I don't think there should be amnesty for those who came here illegally," she said. "But, there are always exceptions, and I don't know how you put it on paper."
The issue of eliminating day labor sites may be where Wilkerson most strongly disagrees with his party's platform.
"I think it's in the best interest of cities to have those, so we can keep up with who's there and have a way to identify who's there," he said. "Strictly from a security standpoint, I'd be for keeping them."
Whether to keep day labor sites is a decision best made by the communities who have them, said U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, who also attended the convention. He also believes hospitals cannot turn down anyone needing medical care.
"That's not how we do things in America," he said. "But we can insist if the federal government doesn't enforce the border that we don't pass the bill on to local taxpayers."
Eliminating the sites, such as the one that opened in Conroe in 2003, however, would give those immigrants who use it the wrong message, said Rod Chavez, who sits on the city of Conroe Day Labor Work Site Committee.
"That would give the message that 'You're not welcome; you're not protected in Conroe," he said. "There was a more than unspoken commitment from the city that if they were at that site, no one would touch them - 'You play by the rules, go to that site and you're OK.'"
The city opened the site to give workers a central location to pair up with employers, instead of congregating at several businesses along South Frazier Street.
Closing it would "leave a bitter taste of mistrust" with the workers, Chavez said.
"What are we going to do with those day labor folks? Have them go into hiding? We have a lot of immigrants who have truly contributed to this society."
Some political leaders have called proposed immigration measures before Congress "racist," and Chavez said racism is a possible "side effect" of such measures.
"When one particular group is being targeted, there is a great possibility you will associate physical and cultural characteristics to those who are not welcome," he said. "If the sentiment is that the country's been taken over and you spice it up with terrorism and people think, 'They're taking all the jobs,' obviously some not very bright individuals are going to make the connection that should not be made.
"To categorize them ... many of them will be victimized by this."
Nancy Flake can be reached at nflake@hcnonline.com

I get the feeling alot of policals smell the blood in the water.....

Not sure, but we may get the "people" running the country for a while.

LOL just kidding.....!

One local man who helped the city of Conroe organize its day labor site, said eliminating such sites would leave a "bitter taste of mistrust" for those immigrants who have played by the rules and used the site to find jobs.

Maybe I am dense, but how is being in this country illegally "playing by the rules?"

What's wrong with them? So afraid the feelings of ILLEGALS might get hurt!

Then say the locals should not pay for illegals ER care! And pass it on to the Federal government....meaning all American's will pay for it, just because a bunch of political hacks are too afraid to hurt ILLEGALS' feelings!

Give me a break!

Someone in that town, tell them that there are people in other States that are suffereing because they won't control their borders and pass on their expenses to everyone!