Immigrants should have to prove status when stopped, Branstad says
Blog post by Jason Clayworth •
jclayworth@dmreg.com • July 14, 2010
Clarinda, Ia. — People in Iowa stopped on traffic violations should have to prove their citizenship status, Republican candidate for governor Terry Branstad said here today.
State auditor David Vaudt and Terry Branstad today in Clarinda.
“When people are stopped for a criminal violation or traffic violation, if they cannot show they are here legally, they ought to be detained and turned over to the federal government for deportation,” Branstad said.
Branstad cautioned, however, that he didn’t want Iowa taxpayers to be left paying the bill for the process.
“I think the challenge is getting the federal government to fulfill their end of the deal,” Branstad told a group of about 25 people at the Lied Public Library. “I don’t want the local property taxpayers to have to pay for them to be in a county jail for month after month after month. They need to step up and do their part of it.”
Immigration and deportation has traditionally been left to the federal government, which is part of the ongoing struggle with the recent law passed by Arizona that gives local police immigration enforcement powers.
Iowa lawmakers have also struggled with the issue for years. In 2008, for example, legislation was introduced but not passed that would have required all employers to verify the identity of each new employee within 10 days of hiring the person by obtaining a copy of his state-issued license or identification. Employers would have faced possible perjury charges for violations.
The 2008 proposal was a compromise from a similar proposal made by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines. McCarthy’s version would have held business executives criminally liable.
McCarthy said the state ID plan was drafted to avoid possible constitutional challenges to the original proposal. It is possible that the U.S. Supreme Court could determine that the state is unable to go directly after business executives for violation of immigration laws. The updated proposal would have enabled prosecution of executives for perjury, not immigration law.
Branstad echoed the frustration about the state’s limited ability to enforce immigration law. If elected governor he said he would work to join other states in pushing the federal government to take action.
“I think there’s a movement all across this country saying it’s time,” Branstad said. “The states will enforce the law but the federal government also needs to do its part. And, frankly, we can seize their vehicles, too. .. and we can use part of that to pay the cost.”
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Originally Posted by TIP
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