U.S. Border Control

Tancredo wants NH lawmakers who support sanctuary state arrested

September 5, 2007

Presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo has demanded prosecution of New Hampshire lawmakers responsible for legislation that would prohibit state and local authorities from enforcing federal immigration laws.

Tancredo, a Republican congressman from Colorado, has staked his long-shot campaign for president on his vehement opposition to illegal immigration. He supports building a fence along the border with Mexico and strictly enforcing existing immigration laws -- including deporting all illegal migrants.

"The legislators who are behind the effort to make New Hampshire a sanctuary state demonstrate an absolute disregard for the safety of their citizens and also for the rule of law," Tancredo said.

Ahead of a Republican candidates' debate in the evening at the University of New Hampshire, Tancredo targeted a New Hampshire House bill and its sponsors in the state's volunteer Legislature, Democrats Lily Mesa of Manchester and Susi Nord of Candia.

The bill would ban state and local law enforcement agencies from accepting or using state money, equipment, personnel and resources solely to apprehend suspected illegal immigrants or to enforce federal immigration laws. It was introduced last January but never voted on because it was retained in a House committee. Lawmakers are expected to vote on it in January after the Legislature convenes for the new session.

"It is time the federal government cut off those funds to these entities and prosecutes to the full extent of the law those who are responsible for the sanctuary policy," Tancredo said.

Mesa has said she introduced the bill after hearing reports that Manchester residents were being stopped by police and asked for documents, based on their appearance or accent, and not as a comment on illegal immigration.

Conservative lawmakers, some local and federal law enforcement officials have opposed the bill, saying it would prevent local police from assisting federal authorities and going after terrorist threats.

"It is a very bad idea for New Hampshire to become a sanctuary state," Tancredo said in an interview on New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange." Tancredo, the grandchild of Italian immigrants, said his views on immigration -- legal and illegal -- stem from a concern for the preservation of American culture.

"My grandparents also came ... with this other strong desire, which is to cut the ties of the past and attach to the new," he said. "We can certainly have immigration but we can certainly have assimilation to go along with it," he said.