Transcript of Thompson's full related original remarks, excerpted from his speech in South Carolina
THOMPSON: You talk about national security, one of the biggest national security issues that we face is right here at home. We're having a big debate now with the immigration bill. They say it's dividing our party. I think to a certain extent, that's right, and I don't think it will always be that way. I think we have to have our honest disagreements and honest opinions and then move on. Some very good friends of mine is on the other - or, are on the other side from where I am. That's all right; we're adults. Let's air our views and decide what's best for this country.
The bottom line is not what's best for one party or another or who's going to get the most votes when the dust settles. The bottom line is what's best for the strength and the long-term endurance of this country, and this immigration bill is not it.
We're catching, over a period of years, thousands of illegal immigrants coming from southern borders that are non-fence-able. Many of them come from terrorist-related states. We were just talking earlier, and I remember the figure that stuck out to me -- in the year 2005, we apprehended over 1,000 folks that originally has come from Cuba. If they're coming from Cuba, where else are they coming from? And I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb. We can't be talking seriously about national security while that's going on. We're catching one for every three that we don't catch -- they say. That's our government's estimate, so you can imagine what the real ratio is.
So -- in 1986 we were offered a deal that we'll grant amnesty for a certain amount of people and we'll secure the border. Well now they're coming back and offering the same deal. And basically saying that we want -- we want you to deal with 12 million now, and this time we really mean it -- we'll secure the border. And the American people are saying, "Fool me twice, shame on me." And they say, "No, it's right here in the bill. I mean, we'll secure the border." And they're saying, "I don't care if it's in the bill -- secure the border."
Thanks for the transcription.
Mine was a little ‘off’.
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