As Republican leadership in the Legislature struggled this week to present Governor Napolitano with an immigration package she will sign, a gubernatorial candidate says the issue has become far too political.
“It’s become a political war of words that leaves the illegals out of consideration,” said Barry Hess, an announced Libertarian candidate for governor.
Mr. Hess, who ran for governor in 2002, released a 20-page position paper on immigration this week, opposing most state and federal proposals dealing with illegal immigration — blaming the American and Mexican governments for the problem — and calling for compassion.
He says he is against building a wall along the border, which he estimates would cost $1 million per mile to build, but favors a “physical barrier” and high-tech equipment to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the county and dying in the desert. Proposals for a national identification card, guest worker program, making illegal presence in the country a felony and prosecuting employers who hire illegals are unworkable, Mr. Hess says.
“Wall promoters had better consider the consequences of such an act. Arizona would lose its moniker as ‘The Grand Canyon State’ and become ‘The Southern Walled State,’ complete with images of poor hungry crying people outside at the base of the wall being completely ignored by a rich powerful nation that bills itself as compassionate, when all that stands between their family’s prosperity and poverty, is a wall — even a hundred feet high,” Mr. Hess’s position paper states.
He said that if he were elected governor, he would assign border security to the Department of Public Safety, to be assisted by volunteer groups, such as the Minutemen.
“Instead of waiting until Washington agrees to pay for it, I will seek private contributions and/or allow incentive legislation to cover the costs of the barrier,” Mr. Hess wrote.
Two of the most contentious issues in state immigration legislation are criminalizing illegal immigration through proposals to make illegal presence in the country a felony or misdemeanor and employer sanctions for knowingly hiring illegal aliens.
The governor vetoed a misdemeanor trespassing bill and has stated she would veto an immigration package if it includes a trespassing measure. She says she does support employer sanctions.
Mr. Hess says making it a felony “to sneak into America” would cost too much to enforce, and making it illegal to hire undocumented workers violates the Constitution.
“The right of an individual to associate or contract with whomever they want is an absolute right,” he said, adding, however, that employers could be required “to pay an excise on their foreign labor…”
Opposed ID card
While he opposes a national ID card, Mr. Hess says national security at the border requires identification.
“While I do firmly believe in open borders, the free flow of labor, goods and individuals… identification is a must for any non-national wishing to enter this country,” he said.
Mr. Hess says his top concern in the immigration debate is to save lives.
“Admittedly, my priority in all this is to stop people from dying in our desert, while seeking a better life. The rest, to me, is a political distraction,” he said.
Mr. Hess sides with Ms. Napolitano’s position that illegal immigration is a federal responsibility, but the state must step in when Congress does not act. He said that as governor he would give Congress 60 days to do something about the problem, and if it didn’t, “… on the 61st day, I will request the Arizona Legislature to pick up the responsibility and allow it 60 days to follow through.”
He says that if the Legislature failed to deal with the issue, he would implement his own plan through executive order.
Mr. Hess, who turned down a request to run as a Republican, previously was a candidate for U.S. Senate and president.