Being tough on illegal immigration has been Rick Santorum’s calling card for years. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.)
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
The Republican presidential race has already begun, just one extended hangover into 2012. And because Florida Republicans were insecure about losing their place in the spotlight (as if that could be possible), and decided to move their primary ahead of all other major states, the national focus will soon be on the Sunshine State.
And so, when it recently became clear that formerly overlooked candidate Rick Santorum was headed for a dead-heat finish against frontrunner Mitt Romney in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, the question was asked: Would the late-closing, weakly funded Santorum be ready for the big-game Florida primaries in just four weeks?
There are two primaries between Iowa and Florida. That’s a lot of political space in which Santorum can catch Anybody-But-Romney syndrome, which has afflicted every potential Romney challenger who briefly surged to prominence only to fall rapidly thereafter. But thanks to his Iowa showing, Santorum should now have the resources and the standing at least to get to the sunshine.
So, with the former Pennsylvania senator apparently on the way, maybe the question should be: Is Florida ready for Santorum?
Santorum’s views on social issues such as education (his children have been home-schooled and he believes government should stay out of “indoctrinating” children), and his hard line on abortion and birth control will certainly get a lot of attention.
But the issue that may truly test Santorum in Florida is immigration.
Being tough on illegal immigration has been Santorum’s calling card for years. To Santorum, former conservative House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s approach to illegal immigration is too soft. “False compassion” is what Santorum called Gingrich’s proposal: tough enforcement, but rather than deporting 10 million undocumented immigrants, looking at each case individually and offering a path to citizenship for those who have been here a significant time and who have made positive contributions to their communities.
That’s a difference of almost seven million people between Gingrich and Santorum. According to the Pew Research Center, “Nearly two-thirds of the 10.2 million unauthorized adult immigrants in the United States have lived in this country for at least 10 years and nearly half are parents of minor children.”
Santorum’s answer to Gingrich was simple and to the point: “You can’t be here for 20 years and commit only one illegal act … because everything you’re doing while you’re here is against the law.”
That plays well in Iowa, but it will be interesting to see how it goes over in a state with large immigrant — and business and agricultural — groups that understand illegal immigration is a thorny problem with thistles that can penetrate everything from families to economies.
What makes Florida particularly tricky for immigration-focused Republicans is that the alliance of Cuban-Americans, the business community agricultural interests that has opposed harsh immigration enforcement measures such as those favored by Santorum ,represent three of the Republican Party’s strongest constituents in the state. That triumvirate is so strong it managed to foil state immigration measures favored by Gov. Rick Scott during a session in which Scott seemed to get everything else he wanted, including such controversial measures as privatizing prisons, dumping teacher seniority and digging into public employees’ pockets.
And on Santorum’s part, he hasn’t shown a willingness to back away from the illegal immigration issue. Will Santorum show greater political dexterity in Florida? Or will his political commitment to the issue be enough to carry the day with Florida Republicans?
Certainly, his self-identification with his Italian immigrant grandfather and father will help him, particularly in the Cuban-American community, where such stories abound. But even more than stories, the thing that could tilt that group toward Santorum would be an endorsement from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, the darling of South Florida Cuban-Americans and the Florida tea party.
Rubio has said he would stay neutral in the presidential contest. But conservative candidate Santorum’s sudden emergence as a potential challenger makes a Rubio endorsement tantalizing — and gives the Florida senator even more clout. Expect a spike in Rubio-as-VP rumors.
That would be the same Florida senator who received the hearty support of Romney when Rubio was accused of embellishing his family story about leaving Cuba.
LEGAL IMMIGRATION—NOT—illegal immigrants? There is a vast difference.
Now that we have the results from the Iowa Caucuses, we must carefully peruse the issues as seen by the candidates and the ever present innocuous problem of the illegal alien occupation.
Mitt Romney during a campaign stop in Iowa on New Year’s Eve, the former governor stated that he would veto the so-called DREAM Act if he was president. And as governor of Massachusetts, Romney allowed state troopers to be deputized to help with the enforcement of immigration laws. He also opposed attempts to allow illegal aliens to pay the lower in-state tuition rates at state universities. Although he opposes the DREAM Act, Romney seems open to grant legal residency status to those who serve in the U.S. military.
Rick Santorum throughout his time as senator, Santorum consistently opposed bills that would grant amnesty or other legalization benefits for illegal aliens. He voted against a bill that would have produced a guest worker program with a path to US citizenship for certain illegal aliens. In addition he voted in opposition to a bill that would allow certain illegal aliens to participate in social security system. Rick Santorum also voted in support of constructing a fence along our Southern border and doesn’t believe in amnesty, although he opposes deporting the millions of illegal aliens already residing in the U.S.
Ron Paul has a similar attitude towards illegal immigration, that he opposes Amnesty, but does not support deporting the estimated 20 million plus illegal aliens currently squatting in the U.S. Paul introduced a bill that would amend the 14th Amendment to the Constitution so that children born to non-citizens within the U.S. could not attain automatic citizenship.
Rep. Michele Bachmann, has the best stance on illegal immigration, but sadly she has stepped down as a presidential candidate. Although Bachman has left the race, she will still carry the banner of the TEA PARTY. As Senators and House members are regurgitated so to speak for reelection. We must insist that they will follow the laws passed down to us by our founding fathers? Not the Socialist movement by President Obama and his rat patrol, assaulting the sovereign rights of individual states. Every politician should promise to uphold the U.S. Constitution, which is the promise to tens of millions of TEA PARTY members of freedom and liberty. To restrain a government out of control and shrink it; to rewrite the antique current tax code and replacing it with a fair and equitable tax for all and no special advantages for those in power; open up our abundant oil deposits and tell the environmentalists, ‘to put a sock in it.’
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich surprised his audience at a town hall meeting in Naples, Florida in November. He said, “I am not for a path to citizenship for anybody who got here illegally… But I am for a path to legality for those people whose ties run so deeply in America that it would truly be a tragedy to try and rip their family apart.” But Rick Perry, the Texas governor has not only granted illegal aliens to pay the lower, in-state tuition at state colleges and universities, he also proposed legislation that allows them to receive tax-payer supported state education grants. In August the Obama administration began a new policy that subject to the illegal alien apprehended, only those with severe criminal records would be deported. Perry at a campaign stop in New Hampshire told the crowd that under his administration, “I call this a horrific policy, but the Obama administration has a catch and release policy where non-violent illegal aliens are released into the general public today. My policy will be to detain and to deport every illegal alien that we apprehend. That is how we stop that issue.”
Just in California, L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich States the illegal alien cost is $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to just Los Angeles County taxpayers exceeds $1.6 billion dollars a year. These costs do not include the hundreds of millions of dollars for schools. It’s a sorrowful situation when a news report states that the Democrats in Sacramento are looking for solutions in reducing their uncontrolled 16 to 20 billion dollar deficit? They should ask Mike Antonovich who knows the answer. He’d tell the simpletons in the state capitol—rescind Los Angeles ‘Special Order 40, stopping police for asking the nationality of persons caught. Remove the stigma of the states ‘Sanctuary State label and prosecute the Governor, Mayor, judge and prosecutors for not obeying immigration enforcement laws. Cross-reference people who apply for public entitlements and implement a mandatory state E-Verify until the ‘Legal Workforce Act’ finds passage in Congress.
Notably is the Liberal press using a different stance to promote the millions of illegal migrants and immigrants already here–saying that it’s good for the economy or asserting these people pay taxes. Yes many do, but they are using either stolen Social Security numbers from innocent citizens, or an IRS number known as an ITIN number. A substantial motivation is they have no alternative, if they want to get a payroll job? Then according to the ‘Heritage Foundation’ the amount of $113 Billion dollars goes to supplementing illegal aliens by hard-pressed taxpayers and every year that amount is rising. The liberal Progressives are also pushing the environmental position, elaborating the issue for no fencing, because it was detrimental to wild life. Of course nothing is said about the crisis situation for ranch owners, who live in fear from the criminals and illegal aliens passing through their land. These parties burglarize their homes, cutting fences and committing other crimes in the four Border States. Equally unappetizing is the mounds of human garbage left in the border regions, with animals caught up in the tangle of plastic bottle holders or other trash.
As released by the IRS, illegal immigrants are returned 4.5 Billion in child/parent tax credits on fraudulent documentation. Little known to most readers is that these foreign invaders send out of the country annually to foreign banks, between 40-46 billion dollars. Yes! They do pay taxes, but it hardly has any impact on the money that is extorted from federal and state taxpayers for children of illegal aliens and drains state treasuries, without compensation. Money going to educate, the massive health care deficit and an overpopulated prison system filled with drug dealers, killers, molesters, pedophiles and a growing proportion of hit and run propagation of drunken drivers; those that are caught.
The Tea Party doesn’t discriminate against any nationality or race, this is an offensive plan by the Democrats to undermine the alternative party who are strictly against illegal immigration, but openly welcomes those who patiently legally wait their turn, in becoming part of the opportunity that is America.
If Obama remains president and reigns supreme for another term, he will rescind the immigration laws that make us safe from drug dealers, drunken hit & run drivers and a whole mess of criminals reaching American soil. The Obama mob led by Eric Holder, Morton, Pelosi and Napolitano have divided American society after not only suing starting with Arizona, but have committed their Liberal agenda of using their mismanaged force to go after Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa county whose duty is to enforce his state law. Obama is complicit in not enforcing immigration laws and now suddenly become slack in deporting nationals. Demand your politician’s co-sponsor the ‘Legal Workforce Bill, known statewide, Mandatory E-Verify. Stop the occupation of our country from other nations, before it’s too late. You can by calling your Senator and Congress person in Congress at 202-224-3121.
Our countries laws are being undermined and our sovereignty trashed by Obama’s mules in the Department of IN-Justice. Join a constitutional-oriented TEA PARTY near you. Make sure Obama becomes a one term president, before his Liberal henchman erodes away the US Constitution. Join the non-profit pro-sovereignty organization. NUMBERSUSA. Be on your guard as illegal aliens have vote and will again in 2012, unless we institute that every voter posses picture ID–which can be authenticated. After the true double fence is built along the border, then at such times a uniform ‘Guest Worker’ program can be enacted by Congress. The TEA PARTY believes in an immigration ‘Point System’ like Europe, Australia and New Zealand, that welcomes highly skilled workers with exception background in Engineering, the Sciences and Mathematics. We must be more selective and enforce the laws as legislated in the 1986 Simpson/Mazzoli bill.
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