Joe, thanks for the ping.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
TALLAHASSEE – Tom Gallagher, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor, today announced several initiatives relating to Florida’s public safety.
Following a tour of the Port of Pensacola, Tom Gallagher held a press availability during which he pledged to create a Florida Office of Security and Preparedness, praised Governor Bush and the Florida Legislature for measures taken to strengthen Florida’s port security, and outlined four steps that he would take to reduce illegal immigration.
"Illegal immigration threatens public safety and undermines respect for the rule of law,” said Gallagher. “While we must approach the issue of illegal immigration with compassion, Florida government must do its part to secure our borders and protect the public.”
Gallagher proposed the following steps to fight illegal immigration in Florida:
1. Give Florida law enforcement officers the power to arrest and detain those who have violated federal immigration law. Florida law currently does not allow state and local law enforcement personnel to make warrantless arrests for violations of federal immigration law. This must be changed. State and local police should have the authority to address immigration violations that they come across in the course of their normal duties. For example, if a state or local policeman reasonably believes that a person has violated federal immigration law, Florida law should allow the officer to detain that person and give federal officials the opportunity to take him into custody.
To be clear, state and local law enforcement should not be required to enforce federal immigration law—whether to do so involves their discretion and assessment of how best to use their resources. Nor should state and local officials seek to displace federal officials as the primary enforcers of immigration law. Rather, this proposal is based on the commonsense notion that state and local police should have the full legal authority they need to protect our people and to uphold the rule of law.
2. Expand Florida’s anti-illegal immigration law enforcement partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. Since 2002, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has participated in a program with the Department of Homeland Security that allows well-trained state and local law enforcement personnel to serve as immigration officers. Under this program, state and local law enforcement work in partnership with federal officials on immigration-related investigations. To date, the program has focused exclusively on immigration investigations that have a connection to domestic security and terrorism. A key success of the program was the March 2005 arrest of six illegal aliens who were performing contract maintenance work at the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant. One of the workers had already been deported once and had re-entered the country illegally.
A Gallagher Administration would seek to expand this program to address aspects of illegal immigration that don’t necessarily have a clear nexus with terrorism. For example, following the example of similar programs in Alabama and Arizona, Florida’s program would be expanded to combat the use of fraudulent documents by those applying for drivers’ licenses and to verify the immigration status of those who are being processed into our state prisons and county jails.
3. No hiring of illegal aliens by those who contract with the government. Government needs to lead by example. It must not contribute to the problem of illegal immigration by hiring illegal immigrants or by contracting with those who do. State law should require that all public employers and all government contractors participate in the federal electronic work authorization program called “Basic Pilot.” Founded in 1996 and run by the Department of Homeland Security, that program enables employers to verify the employment eligibility of all job applicants.
4. Continue to work with our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean to encourage democracy and trade. One of the best things that can be done to stop illegal immigration into our state is to help our Caribbean and Latin American community strengthen their own economies. Through numerous trade missions and outreach, Governor Bush has taken a leadership role in promoting economic ties between Florida and her Latin American neighbors. A Gallagher Administration would build on these efforts and continue them into the future.
Gallagher for Governor Communications
07/21/2006
Businessman v. Trial Lawyer? I'll go with businessman Tom Gallagher. Trial lawyers have enough power. They don't need the whole enchilada.