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Representative Gutierrez Responds to Romney, Kobach Efforts to Fire Up Republican Anti-immigrant Base


Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 24, 2012.  Yesterday, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez issued the following statement reacting to the news that Romney campaign advisor Kris Kobach, a Kansas Republican official and Tampa convention delegate, has not only succeeded in inserting new anti-immigrant language into the GOP platform, but has also filed a lawsuit on behalf of immigration agents who do not agree with the President’s immigration enforcement strategies.  Rep. Gutierrez is the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Task Force on Immigration.

The Romney/Kobach GOP platform with the newly inserted language continues the fantasy that we can or should remove 11-12 million immigrants and their families from the U.S. and continues the Republican rhetoric that all immigrants are criminals, threats, freeloaders, or an economic drain. The Republicans don’t want to solve our immigration problems and they don’t want to eliminate illegal immigration; rather, Romney and Kobach want to use it as a campaign issue and stoke fear, anger, and division.

Kobach is even suing the President of the United States because he disagrees with his immigration policies.  Policies like deferred action are a major boost to law enforcement who do not have to waste time on honor students so they can do the harder work of actually tracking down and deporting criminals.  I hope that the Secretary of Homeland Security will review the actions of anyone who refuses to do obey lawful orders.  I am glad the Navy Seals and FBI and 99% of our immigration agents respect the Commander In Chief, because Romney’s campaign advisor doesn’t.

Kobach’s influence over Romney’s immigration agenda is damaging to the GOP as they head into their convention in Tampa.  Americans approve of the DREAM Act 2-to-1 and think lawsuits and other stunts are pretty far outside the mainstream. 

Source: guiterrez.house.gov


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