Giuliani Campaign Press Release - For Over 25 Years, Giuliani Has Called for Securing the Borders, Deporting Illegal Aliens

Associate Attorney General Giuliani Was Frustrated With Lack of Focus Justice Leadership Had Shown On Immigration Issues. Giuliani: "As you know, for too long those in positions of leadership in the Department have ignored the immigration area — policy, law and budget. Reversing this lack of emphasis and tackling problems long neglected are necessary …" (Associate Attorney General Rudy Giuliani, Letter To Nina Rao Cameron, INS District Counsel, 11/3/81)

In July 1982, Giuliani's Office Commissioned A Report Of INS Headquarters In Order To Review Productivity And Efficiency Of The Agency. (Renee Szybala, Memo To Associate Attorney General Rudy Giuliani, 7/9/82)

In 1982, Giuliani Argued That The Federal Government Should Focus On Improved Border Security And Potentially Criminal Illegal Immigrants. GIULIANI: "And in a situation where we have enormous ongoing immigration problems, wouldn't that be a terrible waste of our resources and a diversion from the kinds of things that the President has been doing and the Attorney General has been doing over the last six or seven months that have begun to restore control of our borders." NEWSCASTER: "Giuliani says the Administration stands behind its policy of deterring those who come to the United States illegally by holding illegals in detention camps, increasing border controls, and implying sanctions against employers who hire illegal aliens." (Miami's Channel 10 News, 2/25/82)

Giuliani: "In The Last Decade, Our Policies Intended To Make Immigration Fair And Orderly Have Failed. We Truly Have Lost Control Of Our Borders." (Associate Attorney General Rudy Giuliani, Remarks To Seventh Annual Baron De Hirsh Meyer Lecture Series, Miami, FL, 4/16/82)

Giuliani Noted It Was Lax Enforcement Of Immigration Laws That Led To An Uncontrolled Border And The Illegal Immigration Crisis. Giuliani: "This country has neglected to enforce our immigration laws. As a result, we have lost control of our borders. This Administration is committed to enforce its laws — firmly and fairly — so that all people who choose to come here, from whatever nation, will do so in accordance with our laws." (Associate Attorney General Rudy Giuliani, Statement, 6/14/82)

AS MAYOR, GIULIANI WANTED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Giuliani In 1995: "[T]he Federal Government Should Be Doing More About Illegal Immigration." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Joint Press Conference with Governor Pete Wilson (CA), New York, NY, 3/29/95)

Giuliani Said INS Failed To Deport Most Criminal Illegals, Even Though NYC Officials Gave Them Names. Giuliani: "We just happened to check the numbers and in this part of the state, there were only about 776 deportations last year of people. … Now we send thousands and thousands of names of illegal and undocumented aliens to the INS who have committed crimes. Either accused or convicted of committing crimes. So literally sitting at the INS is a pile maybe this big of names of people who have committed crimes and last year they got around to deporting seven to eight hundred of them. So before there are obligations placed on [city of New York], to turn over the names of children in school or their parents or people who use public hospitals, I'd like to see the Immigration and Naturalization Service dealing with people who commit crimes." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Joint Press Conference With Governor Pete Wilson (CA), New York, NY, 3/29/95)

In 1996, Giuliani Said The Federal Government Should Do More To Combat Illegal Immigrants, With Regard To Border Patrol As Well As Foreign Policy. GIULIANI: "What I say is illegal immigration is wrong. We should do everything we can to cut it out, to stop it. The federal government should do a lot more about it, both with regard to foreign policy, border patrol, things that are done with regard to deportation, in which a lot more resources should be put into it." (CNN's "Evans & Novak," 7/6/96)

Giuliani Said The Federal Government Should Focus More Of Its Resources On Deporting Illegal Drug Dealers. Giuliani: What the federal government could do is to deport more of the illegal drug dealers that we have in our city which … unfortunately, very few deportations take place of the people who are actually selling drugs who are illegal immigrants …" (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/22/96)

Giuliani: "There Is No One That Is In Favor Of Illegal Immigration. I'm Against It. It's Wrong For People To Violate The Law." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Remarks At The Conference On The New Immigrants, Minneapolis, MN, 9/30/96)

Giuliani Said The Federal Government Does Not Do Enough To Deport Illegal Immigrants. Giuliani: "[T]he reality is, the Federal Government doesn't deport them. In New York City, which has 400,000 undocumented immigrants, only about 1,500 a year are deported. Under the new legislation, that number would — at most — double to about 3,000 out of 400,000." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Remarks At The Conference On The New Immigrants, Minneapolis, MN, 9/30/96)

Giuliani: "Preventing Illegal Immigration Is The Job Of The Federal Government. The United States Has To Do A Lot Better Job Of Patrolling Our Borders." Giuliani: "[P]reventing illegal immigration is the job of the Federal Government. The United States has to do a lot better job of patrolling our borders. If we can't stop illegal immigration, then we can't stop drugs and weapons from entering the country, either.." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Remarks At The Conference On The New Immigrants, Minneapolis, MN, 9/30/96)

Giuliani: "[P]reventing Illegal Immigration Is The Job Of The Federal Government. The United States Has To Do A Lot Better Job Of Patrolling Our Borders." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Remarks At Harvard University's Kennedy School Of Government, 10/10/96)

In 1997, "At A News Conference, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani Repeatedly Called For A Tightening Of Immigration Policy And Barring Aliens Who Admit They Have Been Accused Of Terrorism." (Richard Pyle, "Source: FBI Links NYC Ploy To Hamas," The Associated Press, 8/1/97)

Giuliani Called For INS To Focus More Energy On Deporting Illegals Who Commit Crimes And Endanger Society. Giuliani: "Along these lines, I believe that Congress should also encourage the INS to focus more of its energy and resources on deporting illegal immigrants who commit crimes and endanger the rest of society. New York City spends approximately 36 million dollars to jail illegal immigrants who are criminals. Of the 4,400 illegal immigrants who pass through the jail system only approximately 160 are deported each year. If the federal government is serious about stopping illegal immigration it should work diplomatically with other governments and make our national borders more secure." (Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senate, Testimony, 8/11/97)

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, GIULIANI STRESSES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO SECURE BORDERS FIRST

"Giuliani Said The Federal Government Needs To Secure Borders And Address Concerns About Security Before It Can Handle Questions About Immigrants Already In The United States." (Brad Branan, "Giuliani Taps Into Valley Funds Again GOP Presidential Hopeful Attends Fresno Fundraiser," The Fresno Bee, 6/29/07)

Giuliani Said Arizona Was Enacting Its Own Immigration Laws As A Result Of The Government's Failure To Address The Issue. "Asked about a new Arizona law that will require suspension or revocation of business licenses of employers which [knowingly hire] illegal immigrants, Giuliani said it appeared to be a response by the state to the federal government's failure to address the issue." (Paul Davenport, "Giuliani: Focus Immigration Efforts On Border Enforcement," The Associated Press, 7/26/07)