“...more than 17,000 worked along the southweatern border, much of which is Texas.”
Get a clue. Texas is NOT the Southwest US, other than the area around the El Paso and New Mexico border. I don’t believe folks in Southeast TX could identify with that description, as they are more like the Deep South folks of the Gulf Coast. Same holds true for other regions of TX, regarding attempts to classify the State as “Southern”, “Southwestern”, etc., because we don’t fit any of those labels. The Rio Grande Valley area is vastly different from the Panhandle. South Texas is vastly different from Central TX, West TX, East TX or North TX. Just no way I can say that TEXAS is a Southwestern State! .......4th/5th generation Natural Born Texan and proud of it!
"Other than"... does say your talking out of both sides of your mouth.
We all know where Texas stands on illegal immigration. You can attempt to split hairs but Perry has made it clear he is supportive of immigration over his border as follows:
"President Fox’s vision for an OPEN BORDER is AVISION I EMBRACE"....Gov. Perry
"We must continue to deepen our economic ties (with Mexico), expanding opportunities for Mexican and U.S. companies to do business on both sides of the border. We share a bond as neighbors, and we find our culture north of the Rio Grande to be increasingly defined by the strong traits of people of Hispanic descent."....Gov. Perry http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10688/
Perry opposed an Arizona-style immigration law for his state, saying it “would not be the right direction for Texas.” Because it would turn police officers into immigration agents … (duh) a mindless talking point taken directly from La Raza.
The Marietta Daily Journal - D A—King—Perry record on immigration abysmal