Illegal Immigrants Say They Remodeled Basement for Congressman Known as Immigration Critic

Associated Press ^ | September 19, 2002 | Jon Sarche

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

DENVER (AP) - A congressman who has been demanding tighter immigration controls is defending himself against allegations that illegal immigrants remodeled his basement. Two employees of a contracting company say they and other illegal immigrants from Latin America helped install a home entertainment center and a bedroom in the Littleton home of Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., The Denver Post reported Thursday.

Last month, after the Post wrote about a young illegal immigrant's struggle to pay for college, Tancredo reported the teen and his family to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

On Thursday, Tancredo said that when the remodeling was done last fall, he never asked about the workers' immigration status.

Even if the workers were in the country illegally, "what is my responsibility at this point in time?" Tancredo said in a telephone interview from Washington. "I go to dinner at restaurants and probably have come into contact with people who are here illegally. I do not ask, of course. It is actually illegal and you can be sued."

The contractor, Creative Drywall Designs, and subcontractor Denver Audio Design said all their employees are in the country legally.

The newspaper said it would not identify the workers because they could get in trouble with INS.

Tancredo said enemies he made in lambasting the INS and in seeking strict enforcement of immigration laws are trying to discredit him.

"The fact is that I am a controversial figure," he said. "I have rankled the feathers of people who are immigration support groups and illegal immigrants themselves, so I am not surprised that somebody might make this accusation to embarrass me."

Tancredo called the INS after reading about honor student Jesus Apodaca and his family, illegal immigrants from Mexico who live in Denver. The congressman said INS officials told him they did not have the resources to try to take the family into custody.

Tancredo has pushed for use of troops to guard the borders.

"It is the government's responsibility to enforce our immigration laws, and if the INS were doing its job, no illegal immigrant would be available to violate our labor laws," Tancredo said in the Post.

[chit*chat]

. . .INS officials told him they did not have the resources to try to take the family into custody.

This is an acceptable answer and solution to known illegals in their juristiction? No wonder we have problems. I thought this was being cleaned up by Homeland Security. Where's the security in this response?

[lelio]

It is not the Congressman's responsibility
As I (and I belive Miss Marple) am trying to stress: it might not be his 'responsibility' to check but you shouldn't go shooting your mouth off about something when you're likely to have profited from it. Its like Bill Clinton introducing a bill to ban interns from the WH as a superior could have sex with them.

[rmlew]

But it is 'fair' for the congressman to try and spend the least amount of money by going with a company that hirers illegals and thus spends less on their labor costs. Sounds like the congressman just doesn't like the looks of illegals, but when they are behind the scenes, like doing the dishes at a restaurant, then they are okay.

Instead of being snotty, reread teh article.
Teh company claims that it only hires legal immigrants. Was Tancredo supposed to check the papers of the subcontractor?

[Marine Inspector]

So you're cool with the congressman's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in regards to who he is hiring?

He hired a legitimate licensed business to remodel his basement and install his stereo equipment, he did not hire illegal aliens. The contractor hired the illeglas.

The contactor is at fault, not the Congressman.

[MonroeDNA]

"It is the Congressman's responsibility to check with the contractor to make sure all workers are documented, particularly when he is making such a stink about this issue. ..."

They would have said the same thing that they said after the work was done: No Illegal Aliens here, nope, none.

Should he then have proceeded with the work?

[MonroeDNA]

Actually, it would have been illegal for him to ask the contractor the question in the first place. Should he have broke the law and asked, anyway?

[nanny]

"I believe in LEGAL immigration, and all landscape companies and the roofing contractor we used had to guarantee in writing that only legal labor would be used."

Now putting it in writing would be easy, but actually proving responsibility in the event they are not would be another story.

How do you ascertain someone is legal?

Was the work being done by someone of Mexican decent? Not to be argumentative, but that piece of paper might make you feel better, but it solves nothing. Are you going to sue if you find out otherwise? How are you going to find out otherwise? Just curious.

At least you went farther than most people do today.

[Marine Inspector]

you shouldn't go shooting your mouth off about something when you're likely to have profited from it.

Everyone in the United States has profited off the work of illegal aliens, so as far as you're concerned, there should never be another discussion about illegal aliens. Correct?

[Poohbah]

The newspaper said it would not identify the workers because they could get in trouble with INS.

Tancredo and the contractor know who they are. It's funny (as in suspiciously funny, not amusingly funny) that Tancredo can't seem to find out who the workers actually are.

I would be completely unsurprised if this were true. One of the more amusing sights here in San Diego is a pickup truck getting a load of day laborers at a shopping mall--and the truck has an "American Patrol" bumper sticker. That's pretty commonplace.

[nanny]

"Why would you dismiss the possibility that Vicente Fox persuaded Dubya to initiate this?"

I would not dimiss the possibility - but I would say GW might come up with it on his own since Tancredo's blast are actually aimed at the man or administration responsible for the situation today. That is not Bill Clinton, although he is to blame for many coming here, GW is responsbility for their staying here and for the ones who have come since he became President. He is actively encouraging their coming - so I would say he probably holds no love for Tancredo, and would certainly like to discredit him.

[nanny]

"Tancredo could do or say what he wants as long as he doesn't cause his party to lose more votes than he can gain for them. "

Does that mean he can't act on his principles?

Or does it mean you think the Republican party will shut him up if he is or becomes a liability to the party?

[Marine Inspector]

Was the work being done by someone of Mexican decent? Not to be argumentative, but that piece of paper might make you feel better, but it solves nothing.

Agreed, and it also does not leave you any recourse. You can't sue the contractor; because the contractor will just claim they did not know he was illegal.

That's exactly why the INS does not go after these contractors and businesses.

The illegal showed counterfeit docs and the contractor is not an expert in counterfeit docs, so how can he be held responsible for not knowing the docs were counterfeit.

[Tancredo Fan]

Thanks for the bump. This is clearly an attempt by invasion boosters and bleeding-heart liberals to get Tancredo off the subject of illegals who are flooding into Colorado and the rest of the country. These clowns commonly attempt to frame the accuser as being a beneficiary of the cheap labor unscrupulous employers take advantage of to fatten their own wallets provided by these border-hopping criminals. I have a feeling that Tancredo will most likely ignore this BS and will definitely continue to go after these scofflaw leeches. Meanwhile the illegals who are accusing them are hiding (they probably work for that disgusting Mexican consulate), and the contractor denies that he hires illegals.

[philetus]

It's more than aiding and abetting.
It's harboring a fugitive from justice.

[grania]

The contractor, Creative Drywall Designs, and subcontractor Denver Audio Design said all their employees are in the country legally.

The newspaper said it would not identify the workers because they could get in trouble with INS

Uhhhh....so how was Representative Tancredo supposed to know they were illegal? And who they are?

If this is the best his opponents can do to slam him, Tancredo must be an outstanding human being.

[MonroeDNA]

"As I (and I belive Miss Marple) am trying to stress: it might not be his 'responsibility' to check but you shouldn't go shooting your mouth off about something when you're likely to have profited from it. Its like Bill Clinton introducing a bill to ban interns from the WH as a superior could have sex with them. "

First of all, it might not be legal for him to even inquire. Should he have broke the law and inquired? Can I do the same? I would in a heartbeat. I would love to ask all places I do business with if they have any illegal aliens employed. I would not do business with them, and call the INS.

Second, your Clinton analogy falls flat. A better analogy would be suppose hired sex with women was legal, but the hiring company was forbidden to hire Saudi transvestites who molested boys (they are themselves illegal). And Clinton supported the deportation of Saudi transvestites who molest boys. If that company hired Saudi transvestites who molested boys anyway, and Clinton unknowingly had sex with one, would he be a hypocrite for supporting the deportation of Saudis who molest boys?

[MonroeDNA]

If the Congressman hired an Illegal Alien directly, say, as a maid or servant, then he should go down.

Wait a sec, who did that...hmmmm....

[Consort]

Does that mean he can't act on his principles?

---

He can't act dumb; there is too much at stake. He is not in a party of one; he is part of a family, a community, a political party, a democracy, etc and, like the rest of us, has to act accordingly. Each of those groups gets its little piece of us.

---

Or does it mean you think the Republican party will shut him up if he is or becomes a liability to the party?

---

Any party that doesn't deal with liabilities is committing suicide.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

But it is 'fair' for the congressman to try and spend the least amount of money by going with a company that hirers illegals and thus spends less on their labor costs. Sounds like the congressman just doesn't like the looks of illegals, but when they are behind the scenes, like doing the dishes at a restaurant, then they are okay.

Sounds like you and the writers at the Denver ComPost take warm showers together until the wee hours of the morning. None of you let facts get in the way of a good lie.

[jackbill]

It is my understanding that a company that hires an illegal can be prosecuted. Is it unreasonable for a customer to assume that the contractor is obeying the law?