U.S. Border Control

Tancredo attacks illegal immigration, attack on U.S. culture

In August, Presidential Congressman Tom Tancredo met with citizens in his home state of Colorado, saying “there’s more than one issue wrapped up in this thing we call illegal immigration.”

“When I first came to Congress, the issue of immigration reform was what really motivated me,” he said. “... I still believe it’s the most serious domestic policy issue we face as a nation.”

Tancredo said illegal immigration is causing lost jobs for Americans, wage depression, stress on school systems, higher medical costs, higher expenses for the nation’s prison systems, increased gang activity and increased drug use, specifically methamphetamine.

“And I haven’t gotten to the thing I consider to be the most serious,” he said. “You can talk about all these effects, but there’s something else happening and it’s happening to our culture. This is an attack on the culture.”

Tancredo said damage to U.S. culture comes from immigrants today who aren’t assimilating the way past immigrants have. He said he’s frustrated by the changes taking place across the nation, such as Spanish-language editions of newspapers like the Ottumwa Courier, Muslim foot baths at colleges like University of Michigan and a prayer room at the Denver, Colo., airport for Muslim cab drivers.

“We are captivated by what I call the cult of multiculturalism — the constant pressure to demean America and to explore the greatness of every other culture,” Tancredo said. “It’s fascinating in a way. ... If they offer something so much better, why is it that when the gates open, they always come one way?

“I’m going to tell you, I believe with all my heart what I’m going to say here and it’s going to sound very chauvinistic, but that’s tough. They come one way because we have something better. Because this life, created by Western civilization on Judeo-Christian principles offers something better. Individual freedom.”

Tancredo took care to point out his long history of conservative politics, and referred several times to another conservative politician in Washington, Iowa’s 5th District Rep. Steve King.

“We sound alike, we look alike, we think alike,” Tancredo said. “In fact, it is true that I don’t know how many times Steve and I have been confused for each other.”

He said journalists often begin an interview thinking one of them is the other and have to be corrected. Others have made the mistake, too. Tancredo said King’s sister-in-law once called King’s wife to tell her King was doing a great job on television when he was actually the one on TV.

Someone in the audience asked if Tancredo gets the Republican nomination for president whether he’ll consider King as a running mate.

“In a heartbeat. It’d be wonderful — I wouldn’t have to show up half the time,” he joked. “‘Steve,’ I’d say, ‘Get in there, you’re me today.’ It’d be great.”