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Thompson Campaign Press Release - Thompson Proposal Would Enforce Immigration Laws

October 23, 2007


Giuliani Told Illegal Immigrants He Would Protect Them

McLean, VA - Friends of Fred Thompson campaign spokeswoman Karen Hanretty issued the following statement today regarding Sen. Fred Thompson's Border Security and Immigration Reform Proposal:

"Today, Senator Fred Thompson unveiled his Border Security and Immigration Reform Proposal. For too many years, politicians in Washington, DC, and around the country have ignored the growing problem of illegal immigration. Senator Thompson is taking the crucial issue of immigration head-on with a tough, common-sense proposal that protects our sovereignty and respects the rule of law.

"Other candidates running for the Republican Presidential nomination refused to enforce immigration laws when they were in office. Senator Thompson's proposal would enforce the laws Congress has already enacted to prevent illegal immigrants from unlawfully benefiting from their presence in the country.

"Fred Thompson's consistent conservative record of opposing illegal immigration stands in stark contrast to Rudy Giuliani. When Giuliani was mayor of New York City he supported sanctuary cities and ignored the problem of illegal immigration by actively encouraging illegal immigrants to move to his sanctuary city and seek solace."

From Senator Thompson's Border Security and Immigration Reform Proposal :

• End Sanctuary Cities by cutting off discretionary federal grant funds as appropriate to any community that, by law, ordinance, executive order, or other formal policy directs its public officials not to comply with the provisions of 8 USC 1373 and 8 USC 1644, which prohibit any state or local government from restricting in any way communications with the Department of Homeland Security "regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an alien in the United Sta tes."

• Deny discretionary Federal education grants as appropriate to public universities that violate federal law by offering in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens without also offering identical benefits to United States citizens, regardless of whether or not they live in the state, as required by 8 USC 1623.

• Deny discretionary Federal grants as appropriate to states and local governments that violate federal law by offering public benefits to illegal aliens, as prohibited by 8 USC 1621(a).

Rudy Giuliani's Record on Illegal Immigration:

Giuliani teamed up with MoveOn.org funder George Soros to "oppose the anti-immigration forces."

"Today I am also announcing that my office will be working with a coalition of well-known individuals and organizations who oppose the anti-immigration forces now being seen in Washington and elsewhere. Among the members of this coalition will be...George Soros..." (Rudy Giuliani, Remarks to the Kennedy School of Government, 10/10/96)

Giuliani reissued Executive Order 124, keeping New York City a 'sanctuary city' and forbidding city employees from reporting illegal immigrants seeking public services.

"Mayor Rudolf (sic) Giuliani, on the other hand, reiterated his commitment to Executive Order 124 of 1989, the edict that prohibits city government officials and employees from snitching on the status of aliens, unless they're involved in criminal activity." (Filipino Reporter, 4/13/95)

As mayor, Rudy Giuliani not only allowed New York to become a 'sanctuary city,' he all but recruited illegal immigrants to the city.

"If you come here and you work hard and you happen to be in an undocumented status, you're one of the people who we want in this city. You're somebody that we want to protect." (New York Times, 6/10/94)

Mayor Giuliani filed a lawsuit to block a federal law that would have required city officials to report illegal immigrants to federal immigration authorities .

"...Giuliani today announced that the New York City Corporation Counsel has filed a law suit against the federal government challenging two provisions of the recently enacted Federal Welfare and Immigration laws. ... 'I believe the anti-immigration movement in America is one of our most serious public problems,' Mayor Giuliani said. 'And Washington is only making the problem worse." (New York Times, 10/11/96)

Fred Thompson, Thompson Campaign Press Release - Thompson Proposal Would Enforce Immigration Laws Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/295816

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