Illegal immigration
Huckabee has been criticized for supporting illegal immigration. In his 2005 State of the State address, he complained that a Hispanic student was not able to get financial aid because he was an illegal alien. Huckabee said: “But when he applied for financial aid, he wasn’t eligible for the various scholarships or grants because of his status, a status that he had no decision in or control over.” Huckabee vehemently opposed a 2005 bill sponsored by Arkansas State Senator Jim Holt which would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants, calling it “un-Christian.”
Fiscal Record
He increased state spending 65.3 percent from 1996 to 2004. He also supported 5 tax increases, prompting the Club for Growth to accuse him of being a liberal in disguise. The Cato Institute, a libertarian non-profit public policy research foundation, gave him an F grade for spending and tax policy in 2006, and an overall grade of D for his governorship. During his tenure, the number of state government workers in Arkansas increased over 20 percent, and the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion.
How are either of these positions conservative?
Huckabee’s site states this about his immigration views:
“* My number one priority is to secure America’s border.
* We have to know who is coming into our country, where they are going, and why they are here. We need a fence along our border with Mexico, electronic in some places, and more highly-trained border agents.
* Those who are caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported.
* Illegal immigrants already living among us who commit crimes must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and incarcerated or deported.
I opposed the amnesty bill that was defeated by the Senate in June. I support the $3 billion that Congress recently appropriated for border security. These funds will be used to train and deploy 23,000 more agents, add four drone airplanes, build 700 miles of fence and 300 miles of vehicle barriers, and erect 105 radar and camera towers. They will be used to end “catch and release” by providing money to “catch and detain” those caught entering illegally and to crack down on those who enter legally, but overstay their visas. These border security provisions will stem the tide of illegals, which is what we must do before we can turn the tide and deal with those who are already here. Before you fix the damage in your house caused by a leaking roof, you stop the leak, which is what this legislation will do.
My number one priority is to have a secure border. Right now, we have too many people entering the country illegally, and this must stop. We can’t turn the tide until we stem the tide. We need to know who is coming into our country, where they are going, and why they are here. We need to create a process to allow people to come here to do the jobs - plucking chickens, tarring roofs, picking fruits - that are going unfilled by our citizens. They must have a tamper-proof, scannable I. D. with a finger or retinal scan, so that their employers know they belong here.
Besides stopping terrorists, we must weed out those with a criminal background or a communicable disease. We have to build a fence along our border with Mexico, parts of which will be electronic. We need more well-trained border agents and cooperation agreements with local and state law enforcement officials, so that we have a clear and consistent approach by all jurisdictions.
Those who are caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported. Illegal immigrants who are already living among us and commit crimes must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and incarcerated or deported.”
His campaign literature states,
“Passed Arkansas’ first broad-based tax cut package, and cut over 90 additional taxes — reducing taxes by almost $380 million for the people of Arkansas.
Balanced the Arkansas state budget 5 times, eliminated the capital gains tax for the sale of a home and indexed the state income tax to inflation to keep people from being forced into higher tax brackets.
Left office with a surplus of more than $800 million.”
I lived in Arkansas for six years, and I received a B.A. in political science from the University of Arkansas. I still know some Republicans who live there, and I haven’t heard any complaints about Huckabee.