Posted on 09/29/2002 8:06:03 AM PDT by Tancredo Fan
Tancredo rips Owens' stance on immigrant
By Michael Riley and Mike Soraghan
Denver Post Staff Writers
Sunday, September 29, 2002
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo is lashing out at Gov. Bill Owens and other politicians from both parties who have jumped on the welcome wagon for illegal immigrant and honor student Jesus Apodaca.
Owens had been careful not to criticize his fellow Republican when he announced his support for special legislation to resolve the 18-year-old's immigration problems by granting him permanent residency status. But Tancredo was less cautious with his retort, demonstrating how deeply the case has split the GOP.
"The governor said today he is opposed to selective enforcement (of) the law," Tancredo, of Littleton, said in a statement. "I am also opposed to selective exclusion from the law."
"I wish that all my colleagues who have stepped into ... the fray would use their considerable influence on immigration reform."
Owens has embraced a "private bill" introduced last week by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Ignacio, that would grant residency to Apodaca and his immediate family, who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico when he was 12. Owens also spoke to President Bush on the family's behalf while Bush was in Denver for a fundraiser Friday.
Earlier this month, Tancredo contacted the local Immigration and Naturalization Service office and asked the agency to deport Apodaca after reading about the student in The Post. The Aurora Central High graduate was profiled in the newspaper in August as an example of the effect of laws preventing illegal immigrants from qualifying for in-state tuition.
Political analysts say that in the two weeks since Tancredo's intercession became public, initial GOP support for the lawmaker has eroded under a growing sense that the case is damaging the party's hopes of attracting Hispanic voters.
"This is the right thing to do for this family; it's the right thing for Colorado," said Owens, who previously had been reluctant to address the Apodaca case specifically. He also said he asked Bush to support the bill.
"The president is very sympathetic to the issue," Owens said. He recognizes "that it is not fair to single out one person in a debate that really encompasses hundreds of thousands of people."
"People on both sides of the large and complex issue of immigration reform sought to use this good and decent family as examples to make their political points," Owens said. "This family, and this one honor student, shouldn't be turned into an emblem of all our fears and failings about immigration policy."
Although it's not prohibited for Colorado universities to admit students like Apodaca, they cannot give them in-state tuition or financial aid. Advocates say thousands of students from undocumented families are being effectively barred from attending college.
Critics say they shouldn't be in this country at all.
The head of an "immigration reduction" group criticized Campbell's bill as wrongheaded and politically convenient.
"It's a publicity thing," said Roy Beck of NumbersUSA.com. "Right now a number of people running for office want to avoid tough issues. It's easier to say, 'Let's let this guy have citizenship."'
"Out of 9 million illegal aliens, what is it that puts these seven or eight ahead of the rest?" Beck said. "The only thing you can say is they've been on the front page of The Denver Post, and they've become a political football."
Alton Dillard, state press secretary for Campbell, said Bush is aware of the legislation, in part because it has wound up on the desk of James Zigler, national director of the INS.
"It has bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress," Dillard said. That support includes Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who oversees the committee the bill will move through, Dillard said.
Campbell plans to push the bill as hard as he can in the remaining four to six weeks of the current session, he said. Other Democrats also have pledged their support.
U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Boulder, says he will introduce identical legislation in the House. He agreed with Campbell that the bill would take away pressure on the INS to deport the Apodaca family immediately.
"I really tip my hat to Ben for stepping forward and showing some leadership on this issue," Udall said. "I don't believe we can or should sponsor private relief bills for every bright and talented person who seeks a better life here in America. But I also don't believe Jesus should be the target of what needs to be a larger debate on this issue."
U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer, a vocal critic of illegal immigration who had originally supported Tancredo, further demonstrated the difficulty Republicans are having with the issue by saying he's now "inclined" to support Campbell's legislation.
"Although it's not particularly elegant, (the bill) will allow for legitimate debate to continue on America's policy in respect to people who break the law and invade our borders illegally," said Schaffer, who blamed the controversy on The Post because it identified Apodaca by name in its original story.
As the case has gained national notoriety, Republicans nationwide have complained that the case is again raising fear among Hispanic voters that the party is uncaring, even racist, toward immigrants.
Campbell's legislation, called a "private bill," provides the Republicans with a way out, analysts say. It shows the party's compassionate face without challenging the principle that Republicans should be tough on illegal immigration.
The bill "carries a lot of symbolic weight," said Floyd Ciruli, a political strategist in Denver. "It shows compassion and that the party is interested in issues important to Hispanics."
The site of Owens' announcement, the annual Bernie Valdez Awards banquet, was filled not just with Denver's Hispanic leaders but dozens of candidates - both GOP and Democratic - courting potential votes among the state's fastest-growing minority.
But immigration-reduction supporter Beck said that politicians are wrong to think that special treatment for Apodaca will win the favor of Hispanic voters.
"Hispanics vote for pocketbook issues," Beck said.
In the current two-year session of Congress that's coming to a close, there have been 127 "private bills" of various types, including immigration. Four have passed Congress, and only one has become law: a bill by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, granting Ugandan student Margaret Rita Mirembe Revell, 16, permanent residency status.
It allowed her to be adopted by Dennis Revell and Maureen Reagan, daughter of former President Ronald Reagan. Maureen Reagan was dying of cancer at the time and was too ill to complete the adoption.
But such bills are not uncommon in high-profile, contentious immigration cases. In 2000, several private bills were introduced to give instant citizenship to Elian Gonzalez, the 6-year-old whose mother drowned while fleeing Cuba for Florida. None passed. The child returned to his father in Cuba.
Private bills that passed previously included a boy brought into the country by his parents at age 3. His parents died, and he was adopted by an uncle, who obtained citizenship and thought it would apply to his nephew.
By the time he realized the mistake, it was too late to adopt the boy. So Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, passed a bill granting him permanent residency status.
Win one for the Gipper! God Bless You Reagan, We Will Never Forget Your Great Service and Leadership - We here on FR will carry on your great work with diligence. Thanks for the Memories and Inspiration!
These pathetic politicians are selling out America so that they can appear sensitive, so that they can continue the gravy train via big business campaign contributions, so that they can get extra votes, and so that they can ultimately destroy the United States.
This world is upside down.
Definitely not the country I grew up in that's for sure.
They should be because of skin color they might not be. I don't see an outpouring of compassion for kids from other states who were caught cheating on their residency status to get lower tuition than they were eligible for. Where are the politicians defending the rights of a Michigan kid who wants to pay in-state tuition in another state's university system? Americans pay high rates all the time but this kid seems to believe he shouldn't be held to the same standard. I wonder if he's registered with the draft or if that's another law he didn't choose to follow.
The Denver Compost continues to perpetuate a lie. Tancredo contacted the Denver office of the INS and requested that they investigate the Apodaca family. He has no authority to tell the INS to deport anybody and he did not ask Michael Comfort to deport them. The Compost paraded Apodaca on the front page of its paper and now that the gig is up and everyone knows he and his parents are criminals that rag wants a scapegoat.
Great comeback Tancredo, but then the truth is always the best comeback.
"Denver's Hispanic leaders but dozens of candidates - both GOP and Democratic - courting potential votes among the state's fastest-growing minority"
These treasonous bottom feeders of both parties, admit right here they they are both promoting vote fraud, hand in hand. Illegals are not suppose to vote and yet both parties engage in the treason of urging these non-citizens to the polls to over ride the votes of legitimate citizens.
"that it is not fair to single out one person in a debate that really encompasses hundreds of thousands of people."
Try 12 million illegals in this country, that government admits to. What is this idiot trying to sell?
"Political analysts say that in the two weeks since Tancredo's intercession became public, initial GOP support for the lawmaker has eroded under a growing sense that the case is damaging the party's hopes of attracting Hispanic voters.
Hey! Stupid Party, look back over your shoulder at the sullen and angry faces of legitimate voters. There are more of us than there are illegals that will engage in treason with you.
Once in a while life will throw a curve ball. I think that curve ball is Tancredo. Not only will many Republicans and Independents vote for him, but many Democrats will as well and on this one issue, the treason of both major parties. I think the man has a real shot as a write in candidate, the first write in President in our history. There are many Democrats that don't look forward to losing their voice in their party anymore than conservatives like losing their voice in their party to ever increasing illegal hordes of invaders.
Where I work, people are upset, and not just over immigration, they are registering to vote for the first time in their lives, I have decided to try to pitch Tancredo as an option to the corruption of both parties, and these people have families that they can get registered. We have finally reached a point in our history that the average citizen is upset and scared about what he is seeing happen to his country, they are finally getting off their duffs and on their feet. It's about time.
The dominant fact of every state university is overcrowding - as in too many students for too few dorm rooms, parking spaces, lab resources, computer resources, and even admissions openings. Qualified native-born applicants to state universities are commonly put on long waiting lists. Letting Jesus Apodaca into the Univ. of Colorado means excluding some native-born applicant. It's that simple.
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Sandoval
Three misdemeanor convictions of Sandoval dating to 1995. The most serious misdemeanor: a third-degree assault at a Madison bar in which the victim later died. The Norfolk Daily News reported that the death, caused by brain bleeding, could not be conclusively linked to Sandoval's blows.
Sandoval also served prison time for a felony burglary conviction in Madison County.
Norfolk Police detective Steve Becker testified in court Friday that Sandoval fired the shots that killed bank employees Samuel Sun and Jo Mausbach and customer Evonne Tuttle.
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Gabriel Alan Rodriguez
Court records showed at least nine convictions of Rodriguez since 1999. Several involve traffic infractions, possession of marijuana and third-degree assaults.
Rodriguez was released from prison in late 1998, after serving nearly 31/2 years on a burglary conviction in Madison County. His time included a conviction for attempted escape in Douglas County.
A police official testified Friday that Rodriguez entered the bank eight minutes before the robbery in order to tell the three gunmen where employees and customers were positioned.
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Jorge Alberto Gallindo
The 21-year-old has a list of criminal convictions over the past four years: in 1998 on third-degree assault and minor in possession; speeding and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in 1999; theft and minor in possession in 2000; driving under the influence of alcohol in 2001
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Erick Fernando Vela
On Sept. 20, he made his mark in the county's law enforcement records with a charge of carrying a concealed weapon, a 9 mm Ruger.
He followed the charge just one week later with a first-degree murder charge and a charge of using a weapon to commit a felony. The murder charge carries a state penalty of death or life in prison.
================================================================================================ And we are expected to accept 'undocumented illegal Mexicans into America with open arms? Sorry, Folks, I can't do it.
source http://www.journalstar.com/local.php?story_id=26964
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