Will Bill White Take a Stand on Border Policy?
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Will Bill White Take a Stand on Border Policy?
Democratic Candidate for Governor Farouk Shami Challenges His Opponent to Come Clean About His Stance on Immigration Issues in Texas
McALLEN—During a tour in the Rio Grande Valley, Farouk Shami challenged Bill White to release his border policy.
As mayor of Houston, White worked to have Houston join to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's program ICE ACCESS (Agreements of Cooperation in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security), more commonly known as "287(g)." The program allowed city jailers to check the criminal and immigration histories of those who enter detention facilities and report those who should be deported to Federal authorities.
Less than three months later, once he began campaigning statewide and realized that he needed the support of the Hispanic community, White backed off his support for the program while speaking at an event sponsored by the League of United Latin American Citizens, saying that “he hadn’t signed anything yet” with regards to the deportation program. LULAC had previously sent White a widely-publicized letter condemning his decision to have the city of Houston join the program.
Farouk Shami says that “all people have a right to have access to the American Dream,” adding that he has released his own policy with regards to immigration that includes a plan to work with undocumented workers to capture gang members and end violence along the border, encouraging industry cluster development along the border, and other plans to improve quality of life for undocumented workers. White has yet to release an official border policy and it is not among the issues presented on his web site.
“Quite simply, undocumented workers must not be afraid of police officials. We must immediately stop checking immigration status during routine traffic stops and focus our efforts on tougher offenses," Shami said.
While Farouk Shami has remained consistent in his border policy, Bill White seems to either skirt the issue entirely or change his position based on what group he is addressing.
“My opponent has flip-flopped on this issue and is doing nothing more than paying lip service to the Hispanic community when he is in front of a Hispanic audience. But is he with them or against them? He has a different outlook when speaking to law enforcement officials. This is clear-cut issue and we still don’t know where Bill White stands.” Shami adds, “How does he expect voters, particularly those in the Hispanic community, to support him when he hasn’t taken a clear stance on immigration?”
Read Farouk Shami’s entire border policy here.
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SOURCES: Houston Chronicle, August 5, 2009; Houston Chronicle, May 1, 2009; Letter from LULAC to Bill White (Downloadable PDF)
