After Rick Perry’s responses on matters relating to illegal immigration, Republican presidential debate last night, Americans for Legal Immigration (ALIPAC) issued the following press release:
GOP Presidential primary front runner Rick Perry will likely experience a significant drop in support after the crowd booed him tonight at the CNN and Tea Party debate during discussions of his support for in-state tuition for illegal aliens, which is opposed by 81% of Americans according to numerous polls.
“Perry was the first GOP candidate that the crowd booed tonight, and they started to boo as he rationalized his support for in-state tuition for illegal aliens,” said William Gheen, President of ALIPAC. “We are about to see what we will call the ‘Perry Plunge’ in the polls since surveys show 81% of Americans oppose the kind of illegal immigrant support legislation he signed into law in Texas.”
A recent Rasmussen Poll released on August 23, 2011 showed 81% of Americans oppose in-state tuition for illegal aliens. This poll confirms a JWP Civitas Poll run in North Carolina in 2005 that also showed 81% opposition.
Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has helped to defeat in-state tuition legislation in twenty states in the last six years by simplifying the public’s message in opposition to such benefits for illegal aliens.
“In-state tuition for illegal immigrants forces taxpayers to pay more in taxes to replace their own children in the limited seats in our colleges,” said William Gheen. “Generations of Americans have built these universities with our taxes and tuition, and it is reprehensible that our own government would give our money to help illegal immigrants displace and replace American students in college.”
Texas Governor Rick Perry contradicted himself tonight by claiming that the federal government has failed in its job to secure the border, while also maintaining that immigration matters, such as his support for the Texas Dream Act tuition legislation, is a states’ rights issue.
“Rick Perry needs to understand that no wall will stop illegal immigrants from coming in when they know they can get taxpayer tuition breaks for college, free education, free health care, welfare benefits, child subsidies, food stamps, and ballot access here in America!” exclaimed William Gheen. “Rick Perry is off base with 4 out of 5 of Americans on this issue and should thus be considered by voters to be disqualified for the position as President.”
For more information about public attitudes related to illegal immigration or to schedule interviews, please visit www.ALIPAC.us which is the world’s largest and most comprehensive source of information on these issues.
Transcript from CNN/Tea Party debate – Romney’s response to Rick Perry (and Jon Huntsman’s form of driver’s licenses for illegals in Utah):
BLITZER: All right. Governor Romney, do you have a problem with either what Governor Huntsman did in Utah or Governor Perry did in Texas ?
FORMER GOV. ROMNEY (R-MA.), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yeah, with both, actually. The question began by saying how do we attract Latino voters. And the answer is by telling them what they know in their heart, which is they or their ancestors did not come here for a handout. If they came here for a handout, they’d be voting for Democrats. They came here for opportunity and freedom. And that’s what we represent. And that’s why we’ll win collecting support from Latinos across the country.
With regards to illegal immigration, of course we build a fence and of course we do not give instate tuition credits to people who come here illegally. That only attracts people to come here and take advantage of America ‘s great beneficence.
And with regards to giving driver’s licenses to people that are here illegally, that creates a patina of legal status. There are sanctuary cities in some parts of the country.
One of the things I did in my state was to say, look, I’m going to get my state police authorized to be able to enforce immigration laws and make sure those people who we arrest are put in jail, to find out they’re here illegally, we’re going to get them out of here.
We have to recognize that this is the party that believes in supporting the law. We’re going to enforce the law. We’re the party of opportunity, we’re also the party of legal law abiding citizens. And that’s something we’re going use to attract people of all backgrounds.
(emphasis added)
H/t Crystal, ALIPAC
► Jayde Wyatt
I really like what he had to say on this issue.
I loved how Mitt has handled the immigration issue! I love his statement: “what they know in their heart, which is they or their ancestors did not come here for a handout.”
AND: “We’re the party of opportunity, we’re also the party of legal law abiding citizens.”
That rings so true with so many Americans, but it is NOT “tough talkin’ “.
Proud of Mitt!
I think that Mitt needs to focus much more heavily on this issue. The issue of illegal immigration should be Mitt Romney’s main line of attack against Rick Perry.
Perry was booed loudly throughout the debate hall because Perry’s position on this issue is abysmal & his answers on illegal immigration & his support for the coddling of illegal aliens were infuriating.
I’ve never heard such a bad answer on this question from a Republican before. Perry sounded just like the illegal alien panderers in the Democrat Party on this issue. I was just annoyed the Romney didn’t take even better advantage of this issue. Both Perry & Huntsman disgusted me in their support for illegal aliens last night.
I happen to agree with Perry that Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme & so do many, many other Republicans. Romney has made his stance known on Social Security in order to sure up support amongst senior citizen voters. Now, it’s time for Romney to move on to illegal immigration. As Erick Erickson of RedState says, illegal immigration Rick is Perry’s Achilles’ heel. And it showed last night.
I like what Mitt said about if Latinos were looking for a handout, they’d be voting Democrat.
I believe Perry is a flawed candidate and his rhetoric on Soc. Sec. and his Immigration policies will sink his candidacy before he gets past the primaries in 2012.
This Romney stance is an example of why common sense is said to be so uncommon. Lincoln said we must teach reverence for the law to the babe’s on our knees. Lincoln said this is the source of our strength. We all felt it when Romney explained our immigration issues. The truth does set us free.
There was an extreme change of breath in the Tea Party debate audience. Republicans are Republicans, after all. It swept over the crowd and swelled like freedom ringing. It validates the process of the debate forum. Pure contact between voters and candidate, un-distilled and unfiltered, moves us forward to an improved choice.
Big Media, including “conservative” Talk Radio, have failed at informing the public. For a long time media camouflage and deception have contributed to our national distress. I know that journalism students at my university were so incompetent they could not graduate in any other field. And they were fed a constant diet of communist dogma. They also would profess to believe the opposite of what they actually believed. Not a recipe for useful watchmen. We need better.
Thank you, MRC, for your great articles, information, and insights. Great job; we need you.
Perry is even worse on illegal immigration than Bush was. The only thing that Perry did last night was to secure pro-illegal immigration voters like Jeb Bush.
This is my first time at being “political”. I am very impressed with what future president Romney has to say about immigration. Keep up the good work. You outshine the others.
I have heard there are actually over 37 million illegals in this country, but the Government holds to the, “Don’t hurt the one ‘pink’ rabbit in your garden” scenario. But when Americans look out at their gardens and discover tens of thousands of ‘pink’ rabbits in their back yard… things have got to change! There are over 70 thousand people in Iowa who don’t speak English. How does this compare to other States? I know Arizona is suffering. The City of Angels is the Mecca of illegals… with dire consequences in the near future. America can not sit by and watch this tidal wave of illegals overwhelm us and consume our benefits meant for our own citizens who are, at times, in need.