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Duncan Hunter Opposes Immigration Deal
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a GOP candidate for president in 2008, vowed to oppose immigration legislation approved by the Senate on Thursday. Hunter said the new immigration deal rewards lawbreakers and does little to stem the flow of illegals across U.S. borders. "This Senate bill is bad for Americans, bad for our workers, bad for law enforcement and, most importantly, bad for national security," Hunter said.
The new legislation was drafted and supported by Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Republican Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Story Continues Below It would provide new immigration benefits to millions of immigrants who are in America illegally. "This package will confirm to the world that the U.S. does not really mean what it says when it comes to immigration enforcement," said Hunter. "As a result of the citizenship benefits included in this legislation, and despite the fine print, we will see a stampede across our borders as people seek to attain legal status in the U.S."
Hunter was a leader in the opposition to the 1986 Amnesty Act saying it provided benefits to those who had broken U.S. laws. He also contended that the 1986 act would draw even more immigrants to America who were seeking citizenship. Hunter said he was, "fiercely disappointed in seeing history repeat itself” with another law that lawmakers have no intention to enforce. "Amnesty is not the answer," he said. "Border enforcement must come first and it must be comprehensive. To do otherwise is to repeat the mistakes of the past."
According to Hunter, the Democratic controlled Senate is demanding legitimate enforcement policies, but what they are offering is a vast new amnesty and expansive guest-worker program. "I suspect the program will be filled with fraud and abuse, and will ultimately lead to millions of low-skill workers relying on our public assistance programs," Hunter said. The Senate’s decision to blatantly ignore the 2006 Secure Fence Act is yet another failure of this legislation, said Hunter. That act was signed into law last year and requires construction of 370 miles of fence, as opposed to the 854-miles mandated by the law.
"The San Diego border has proven that fencing works," Hunter said. "The time has come to quickly implement the Secure Fence Act, not retreat from its mandates."
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Editor's note:
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2008 Presidential Race Inside Cover Stories
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