OnTheIssuesLogo

Rick Perry on Immigration

Republican Governor (TX)

 


Aviation assets 24/7 all the way from Tijuana to Texas

Q: What would you say to a child, born and raised in America, who could see their family broken apart by your tough immigration policy?

PERRY: For 30 years this country has been baited with this debate, and the border is still not secure. The American people are never going to trust Washington, D.C., and for good reason. There's not anybody on either one of these stages that has the experience of dealing with this as I have for over 14 years. We have to put the personnel on that border in the right places; you have to put the strategic fencing in place; and you have to have aviation assets that fly all the way from Tijuana to Texas--1,933 miles looking down 24/7, with the technology to be able to identify what individuals are doing, and ID when they are in obviously illegal activities, and quick-response teams come. Then Americans will believe that Washington is up to a conversation to deal with the millions of people that are here illegally, but not until.

Source: Fox News/Facebook Second Tier debate transcript , Aug 6, 2015

I secured the border & reduced apprehensions as Texas Gov

Q: Donald Trump took aim at your work on the border yesterday, saying you should have done a better job protecting the border. What do you make of that?

PERRY: Well, I don't think he understands the challenge, obviously. I was the governor of Texas for 14 years. The governor of that state with the 1,200 mile Mexican border. When it became abundantly clear that the president wasn't going to deal with this immigration issue, we acted last summer. We surged our law enforcement and our National Guard there. And as a result we saw a 74 percent decrease of apprehensions in that region of the border where the real challenges were.

Source: ABC This Week 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Jul 5, 2015

Supports state-based DREAM Act; opposes federal DREAM Act

The only thing all Republicans seem to be able to agree on is the need to secure the US-Mexico border before considering a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants--though even the definition of border security can vary from person to person. [Our guide, in Q&A format]:

Q: Should the government offer immigrants already living in the United States illegally a pathway to citizenship?

A: Unclear. While the former Texas governor has been a staunch defender of the DREAM Act in his state, he has been less clear-cut about a general path to citizenship. In 2011, Perry said he could "envision some sort of path to citizenship for people who are here illegally" (the interviewer's words, not his). But he didn't all-out support it, either. "We have a pathway to citizenship in this country today: It's get in the line and do what it takes to get here legally," he said.

Source: National Journal 2016 series: Republicans on immigration , Feb 23, 2015

All-of-the-above approach to resources to defend our border

Perry has narrowed his focus to border security: "Gov. Perry has long called for an all-of-the-above approach to resources to defend our border, including strategic fencing, boots on the ground, and water and aviation assets, along with swift response teams," a spokesperson said. "Gov. Perry believes we must secure the border first before addressing immigration reform. After the border is secure, we can have a conversation about how to handle the millions of people already in the U.S. illegally."
Source: National Journal 2016 series: Republicans on immigration , Feb 23, 2015

No comprehensive immigration reform until border is secure

The administration has signaled that the president is considering executive action, with respect to immigration. He said he's basically been left no choice because of lawmakers:

(VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: If, in fact, House Republicans are concerned about me acting independently of Congress, despite the fact that I have taken fewer executive actions than my [predecessors], then the easiest way to solve it is pass some legislation. Get things done.

Q: So, is that the solution?

PERRY: Well, here's what I think is very important for Washington to understand: You're not going to have comprehensive immigration reform until the border is secure. The American people do not trust Washington to do these two things at the same time. They expect the border to be safe & secured. They want to be able to live in their communities and feel like they're safe. And if this president does not do what's required to secure the border first, I will suggest to you: whatever he does is going to be a failure.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2014 interview of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Aug 17, 2014

Illegal immigrants have committed 3,000 homicides

Q: Your take on the border crisis?

PERRY: What we are concerned about are the 80%-plus of individuals who don't get talked about enough that are coming into the US illegally, and committing substantial crimes. Since 2008, we have seen 203,000 individuals who have illegally come into Texas, booked into Texas county jails. And these individuals are responsible for over 3,000 homicides and almost 8,000 sexual assaults. That's the reason that we are deploying 1,000 National Guard troops, to try to make communities safer, and that is my goal.

Q: Governor, a number of fact-checkers have said that that 3,000-homicide figure is wildly off.

PERRY: Let me go back to those numbers. I do stand by them, by the way, but what are the number of homicides that are acceptable to those individuals? How many sexual assaults do we have to have before Washington DC acts to keep our citizens safe? That border is not secure. It's time for us to secure that border.

Source: CNN SOTU 2014 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls , Aug 3, 2014

I warned of crisis of Central American kids in 2012

Q: Tens of thousands of Central American children are crossing the border illegally into the US. You have called the federal response to this crisis inept. Do you mean the President's inept or is Congress inept, too?

PERRY: Well, I think there's plenty of blame to spread around, but when you're the President, you are at the tip of the spear. I go back multiple years in the past: we've drawn attention to the problems on the border. We've asked for 1,000 National Guard troops for over four years from this administration. As a matter of fact, in May of 2012, I gave the President a heads-up on what was happening with these unaccompanied children, these alien children who were coming in on the tops of trains. And we laid out exactly what we felt was going to happen if we didn't address that, and now we're seeing that become reality. It could have been stopped years ago, had the administration listened, had the administration been focused on the border with Texas.

Source: Face the Nation 2014 interview: 2016 presidential hopefuls , Jul 13, 2014

Secure the border to end Central American kids' crisis

Q: What do you do with these children [thousands of Central Americans crossing the border illegally into the US]? Many of them were escaping drug cartels or human trafficking.

PERRY: It is a problem of monumental humanitarian impact. This is like a triage, if you will. If you have a patient that is bleeding profusely, the first thing you have to do is stop the bleeding, and that's the reason we have been so adamant about securing the border. Very quickly, that message will be sent to those Central American countries that you cannot send your children up here; you cannot catch a train or a bus or be coyoted up here, as you will, to walk across the border and you're freely going to be able to stay in the US. That was the message for years and months from this administration, that's what they saw and that was the message that went back.

Source: Face the Nation 2014 interview: 2016 presidential hopefuls , Jul 13, 2014

Boots on the ground and the border sends a visual message

Q: What exactly would the national guard do on the border?

PERRY: They could help push forward a show the force, if you will. The president was not even aware that his border patrol was 40 miles away from the border. They need to be right on the river. They need to be there as a show of force, because that's the message that gets sent back very quickly to Central America.

Q: But national guards are not allowed to apprehend any of these children that are crossing, are they?

PERRY: Well, the issue is with being able to send that message, because it's the visual that I think is the most important. Their conversations are being monitored with calls back to the Central America, and the message is, "hey, come on up here, everything is great, they're taking care of us." My point is, you bring boots on the ground to send that message clearly, both visually and otherwise. At that particular point in time, I think this flow from Central America gets staunched by a substantial margin.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2014 interview of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Jul 13, 2014

Obama administration either inept or conspiring on illegals

Q: Governor, you recently made some pretty serious allegations:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PERRY: The federal government is just absolutely failing. We either have an incredibly inept administration, or they're in on this somehow or another. I mean I hate to be conspiratorial, but I mean how do you move that many people from Central America across Mexico and then into the US without there being a fairly coordinated effort?

(END VIDEO CLIP) Q: Governor, do you really believe there's some sort of conspiracy?

PERRY: I have written a letter that is dated May of 2012, and I have yet to have a response from this administration, I will tell you they either are inept or don't care, and that is my position. We have been bringing to the attention of President Obama and his administration since 2010, [about the] huge problem on our southern border--I have to believe that when you do not respond in any way, that you are either inept, or you have some ulterior motive of which you are functioning from.

Source: ABC This Week 2014 series of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Jul 6, 2014

Why isn't D.C. talking with border states about the border?

Q: There are some Republicans that say if immigration reform is not passed Republicans cannot put a Republican in the White House.

PERRY: I disagree that the idea that there's one piece of legislation is going to decide--that's a little bit out of the realm of reality. Let's secure the border. We have talked about this for a long time. It's interesting. I have been the governor for over 12 years now, [with a] 1200 mile border with Mexico. We have a great deal of experience of dealing with border security and Washington in any form has not come to Texas and sat down with us. I don't think the will is in Washington D.C. to secure the border. So until that happens I'm not sure the American people are going to trust Washington to come up with some immigration bill until they secure the border.

Source: CNN SOTU 2013 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls , Jul 14, 2013

US-Mexican border security helps the entire hemisphere

Q: What could we be doing with the Mexican government to help stop these drug cartels?

PERRY: Well, let me kind of broaden it out. I think it's time for a 21st century Monroe Doctrine. What we put in place in the 1820s, we then used it again in the 1960s with the Soviet Union. We're seeing countries start to come in and infiltrate. We know that Hamas and Hezbollah are working in Mexico, as well as Iran, with their ploy to come into the US. The idea that we need to have border security with the US and Mexico is paramount to the entire western hemisphere. So putting that secure border in place with strategic fencing, with the boots on the ground, with the aviation assets, and then working with Mexico in particular, all of those together can make that country substantially more secure and our borders secure. As the President, I will promise you one thing, that within 12 months of the inaugural, that border will be shut down, and it will be secure.

Source: 2011 CNN National Security GOP primary debate , Nov 22, 2011

Mexican border beset with vicious murders & tortures

The passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 forced Obama into a choice: Let the law take effect on July 29 even though he disagreed with it? Or encourage the federal government to file a lawsuit against one of its own states, an unusual move that would mean fighting Arizona in court?

Other leaders had bombarded Obama with mail on both sides, illuminating little more than the divisiveness of the immigration debate. Felipe Calderon, the president of Mexico, wrote that SB1070 would promote "intolerance, hate and discrimination." Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, hand-delivered Obama a four-page memo advocating tough immigration laws because, he wrote, "on any given day, the Mexican border region is now beset with vicious murders, tortures, kidnappings and armed confrontations."

But lately, Obama's most frequent mailer had become Gov. Jan Brewer herself, the architect of SB1070. Obama never responded, so Brewer made each letter longer and more indignant than the last.

Source: Ten Letters, by Eli Saslow, p.149 , Oct 11, 2011

You don't have a heart if you don't educate immigrant kids

Q: [to Romney]: In Massachusetts, you vetoed legislation to provide interstate tuition rates to the children of illegals. Gov. Perry signed the Texas Dream Act to do exactly that, arguing that it's better to get these kids an education and to get them jobs than to consign them just to being a burden on the state.

ROMNEY: It's an argument I just can't follow. If you're an illegal alien, you get an in-state tuition discount of $22,000 a year. That shouldn't be allowed.

PERRY: If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society. I think that's what Texans wanted to do. Out of 181 members of the Texas legislature, when this issue came up, only four dissenting votes. This was a state issue. Texans voted on it. And I still support it greatly.

Source: 2011 GOP Google debate in Orlando FL , Sep 22, 2011

A 2000-mile fence makes no sense; need boots on the ground

Q: You say that Gov. Perry's opposition to building a border along the entire fence shows that he is a "big government moderate."

SANTORUM: Yes, I would say that he is soft on illegal immigration. I think the fact that he doesn't want to build a fence --in 2001 he talked about buying national health insurance between Mexico and Texas. I mean, I don't even think Barack Obama would be for buying national health insurance. So I think he's very weak on this issue of American sovereignty and protecting our borders and not being a magnet for illegal immigration, yes.

PERRY: The idea that you are going to build a wall, a fence for 1,200 miles, and then go 800 miles more to Tijuana, does not make sense. You put the boots on the ground. We know how to make this work. You put the boots on the ground; you put the aviation assets in the ground.

SANTORUM: But putting the assets--it's not working, Governor.

PERRY: No, it's not working because the federal government has not engaged in this at all.

Source: 2011 GOP Google debate in Orlando FL , Sep 22, 2011

Let illegals contribute to society & pursue citizenship

ROMNEY: Of course we do not give instate tuition credits to people who come here illegally. That only attracts people to come here and take advantage of America's great beneficence.

PERRY: We basically had a decision to make. Are we going to give people an incentive to be contributing members of this society or are we going to tell them no, we're going to put you on the government dole? In the state of Texas, and this is a states right issue, if in Massachusetts you didn't want to do it, that's fine. But in the state of Texas where Mexico has a clear and a long relationship with this state, we decided it was in the best interest of those young people to give them the opportunity to go on to college and to have the opportunity. They're pursuing citizenship in this country rather than saying, we're going to put you over here and put you on the government dole for the rest of your life. We don't think that was the right thing to do. And it's working. And it's working well in the state of Texas.

Source: 2011 GOP Tea Party debate in Tampa FL , Sep 12, 2011

Secure the Mexican border against drug cartels

Texas has a lot of unique features, including a 1,200 mile international border and a long history of strong relations with Mexico. The security of that border is one of Washington's essential roles yet they continue their record of abject failure in that area.

As a result, we continue to deal with violent Mexican drug cartels who work closely with transnational gangs on our side of the border operating with no regard for the law or respect for life.

The bad actors in Mexico are getting worse, and the risks to our citizens continue to rise along the border and in communities across this country where drugs continue to flow. We need 1,000 National Guard troops to support current law enforcement operations on our border until they can provide those 3,000 more border patrol agents. We also need Predator drones flying along the Texas-Mexico border providing real time intel to our state and local operation centers.

Source: Speech at 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference , Feb 11, 2011

Illegal immigration cost TX $928M in one year

A 2006 report by the Texas comptroller's office estimated the budgetary impacts of illegal immigration in Texas. The report found that approximately 135,000 undocumented students in Texas public schools cost the state $957 million in just the 2004-2005 school year. The comptroller's report cited incarceration and uncompensated health care as the two largest costs associated with illegal immigrants to local government entities in Texas. These two items costs local government $1.44 billion over a one-year period.

Of course, those living in Texas illegally also provide income to the state because of increased economic activity, sales tax, and property taxes (either directly or through rent subsidizing the property owner). But adding the estimated revenues and costs to both the state and local governments, Texas taxpayers were out $928 million in 2005.

Source: Fed Up!, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.121 , Nov 15, 2010

End the notion of sanctuary cities

As we continue to strengthen our border, we must also consider the essential role that federal immigration policy, or the lack thereof, plays in the safety of our citizens and integrity of our state.

After revelations that a Dallas man had set up a cottage industry procuring Texas driver licenses for illegal aliens hailing from countries around the world, I am an even stronger supporter of the DPS initiative to issue specialized, vertical driver licenses, to identify those who have overstayed their visa.

I also support an end to the notion of sanctuary cities. Local government sends the wrong message when they pick and choose what laws they want their peace officers to enforce.

We should also track the citizenship status of those receiving state-funded services so we can get our hands around the financial impact of Washington's failure to handle the immigration challenge. Some may oppose these efforts, but they are commonsense approaches to protecting our citizens' lives and resources.

Source: 2009 State of the State Address , Jan 27, 2009

$100 million investment in a more secure border

I am proposing a $100 million investment in a more secure border. There is no such thing as homeland security without border security. It is not hyperbole to say terrorists view our international border with Mexico as a prime point of entry--that is the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community.

While the vast majority of people who come here illegally are economic migrants simply seeking a better life, the small percentage seeking to cause us harm don't dress differently. Nor do they put out press advisories in advance of their arrival. They don't want us to know they are here until they have done mortal damage to our people.

I support strategic fencing in urban areas along the border. But I also believe, like border sheriffs, that the best solution involves added manpower, not unmanned walls.

Source: Texas 2007 State of the State address , Feb 6, 2007


Rick Perry on Texas Immigration

We sent Texas rangers & National Guard to southern border

Nobody, nobody on either one of these stages has done more than I've done and the people of the State of Texas to deal with securing that [southern] border. We sent our Texas ranger recon teams. We sent our parks and wildlife wardens. I deployed the National Guard after I stood on the ramp in Dallas, Texas and looked the president of the United States in the eye and said, "Mr. President, if you won't secure the border, Texas will," and that's exactly what we did.
Source: Fox News/Facebook Second Tier debate transcript , Aug 6, 2015

Texas DREAM Act: in-state tuition for illegal aliens

[Our guide to Republicans on immigration, in Q&A format]:

Q: Should the children of undocumented immigrants be offered a pathway to citizenship?

A: Yes. After a 2011 presidential debate, Perry received a considerable amount of conservative blowback for comments he made in support of the Texas DREAM Act, which gave in-state tuition to undocumented students.

It's a decision Perry says he sticks by: "There are two options here: You're either going to send the message that young men and women who ended up in this state, in most cases by no action of their own, we could either say, 'You have worked hard, and you're going to pay in-state tuition--this isn't a subsidy, you're paying the same thing as anyone else--and you're going to get in line to become an American citizen. That made economic sense to us, considering all of the other options that we had. I still think that in 2001, that was the right decision to make."

Source: National Journal 2016 series: Republicans on immigration , Feb 23, 2015

If Washington refuses to enforce the border, Texas will

Several political activists tried to interrupt Perry as he spoke about his tough stance on immigration enforcement on the Texas-Mexico border. The protesters held signs that read: "Deportable?" The signs asked whether potential presidential candidates agreed with U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA), a co-sponsor of Saturday's event who has been a harsh critic of President Barack Obama's immigration policies.

Perry ignored the protesters, who were escorted out of the building by police. "Here is what I say: If Washington refuses to enforce the border, Texas will. This problem has dragged on long enough," Perry said.

Perry got enthusiastic applause and cheers for his criticism of President Barack Obama's administration and his calls for lower taxes, less government regulation and tougher border security.

Source: Des Moines Register on 2015 Iowa Freedom Summit , Jan 24, 2015

Texas border "surge" reduced influx of unaccompanied kids

Q: On the issue of immigration. The administration now says the numbers show that the influx of those unaccompanied children who are coming across the border illegally has dropped significantly. To what do you attribute that?

PERRY: Well, here's what I know is happening. Almost six weeks ago, we surged into that area of operation with our Department of Public Safety, our Texas Ranger Recon Teams, our Parks and Wildlife. We brought real attention to the issue. We're sending messages back to Central America that you should not send your children hereby. They're not going to be able to walk across the border. We talked powerfully about surging the National Guard into that area as well. So, I would suggest to you that the issue here really goes back to that rule of law, if you will. We're not securing the border as the Constitution calls for us to.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2014 interview of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Aug 17, 2014

We have Texas Rangers patrolling the border

Q: To date, it appears that you have not tried to stop the illegals from coming. How do you feel being criticized by a number of these other candidates on the stage for being too soft on immigration?

PERRY: I feel pretty normal getting criticized by these folks, but the fact of the matter is this: there is nobody on this stage who has spent more time working on border security than I have. For a decade, I've been the governor of a state with a 1,200-mile border with Mexico. We put $400 million of our taxpayer money into securing that border. We've got our Texas Ranger recon teams there now. I supported Arizona's immigration law by joining in that lawsuit to defend it. Every day I have Texans on that border that are doing their job.

Source: 2011 GOP Google debate in Orlando FL , Sep 22, 2011

Failed federal responsibility to secure the border

There's not anybody on this stage that's had to deal with the issue of border security more than I have, with 1,200 miles of border with Mexico. And our federal government has been an abject failure at securing our border. We've had to spend some $400 million of Texas taxpayer dollars to send Texas Ranger recon teams down there. But the idea that you're going to build a wall from Brownsville to El Paso and go left for another 800 miles to Tijuana is just not reality. What you have to have is boots on the ground. You've got to have 450 Border Patrol agents trained up, 1,500 National Guard troops. You've got to have the aviation assets in the air putting real-time information down to the law enforcement. We understand and know how to secure that border, but we can't do it alone. And the federal government has to step up and do what their constitutional duty is, and that is to secure the border with Mexico.
Source: 2011 GOP Tea Party debate in Tampa FL , Sep 12, 2011

Discounted in-state tuition regardless of immigration status

SANTORUM: Gov. Perry provided in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

PERRY: If you've been in Texas for 3 years, if you're working towards your college degree, and if you are working and pursuing citizenship, you pay in-state tuition there. And the bottom line is it doesn't make any difference what the sound of your last name is. That is the American way. No matter how you got into that state, from the standpoint of your parents brought you there or what have you. I'm proud that we are having those individuals be contributing members of our society rather than telling them, you go be on the government dole.

Q: Is that basically the DREAM Act?

PERRY: I'm not for the DREAM Act that they are talking about in D.C.; that is amnesty. What we did in the state of Texas was clearly a states right issue. We were clearly sending a message to young people, that we believe in you. That if you want to live in Texas, that we're going to allow you the opportunity to be contributing members.

Source: 2011 GOP Tea Party debate in Tampa FL , Sep 12, 2011

El Paso border is not safe until we have boots on the ground

Q: What would make the border secure?

PERRY: Well, the first thing you need to do is have boots on the ground. We've had a request in to this administration since 2009 for 1,000 border patrol agents or National Guard troops, and working towards 3,000 border patrol. That's just on the Texas border. There's another 50% more for the entire Mexican border. So you can secure the border, but it requires a commitment of the federal government of putting those boots on the ground, the aviation assets in the air. We think predator drones could be flown, that real-time information coming down to the local and the state and the federal law enforcement. And you can secure the border. And at that particular point in time, then you can have an intellectually appropriate discussion about immigration reform. For the President to go to El Paso, Texas, and say that the border is safer than it's ever been, either he has some of the poorest intel in history, or he was an abject liar. It is not safe on that border.

Source: 2011 GOP debate in Simi Valley CA at the Reagan Library , Sep 7, 2011

Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal.

Perry adopted the National Governors Association policy:


Source: NGA policy HR-2: Immigration and Refugee Policy 01-NGA3 on Feb 15, 2001

Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation.

Perry adopted the National Governors Association policy:



Finally, the Governors are concerned about the large number of deported felons that are returning to the United States. A significant number of the criminal alien felons housed in state prisons and local jails are previously convicted felons who reentered the United States after they were deported. The Governors urge the federal government to provide sufficient funds for proven positive identification systems, like the Automated Fingerprinting Identification System (AFIS), to allow for the expanded use of these systems in the rest of the nation.
Source: NGA policy HR-2: Immigration and Refugee Policy 01-NGA4 on Feb 15, 2001

Import farm workers from Mexico.

Perry signed the Southern Governors' Association resolution:

Source: Resolution of Southern Governor's Assn. on 2002 Farm Bill 01-SGA6 on Sep 9, 2001

Other candidates on Immigration: Rick Perry on other issues:
2016 Presidential Candidates:
Donald Trump(R-NY)
Gov.Mike Pence(R-IN,VP)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(D-NY)
Sen.Tim Kaine(D-VA,VP)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Gov.Bill Weld(L-MA,VP)
Dr.Jill Stein(G-MA)
Ajamu Baraka(G-VP)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Evan McMullin(I)
Darrell Castle(C)
2016 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)
2016 Withdrawn GOP Candidates:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI)
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty

About Rick Perry:
Profile
AmericansElect quiz
MyOcracy quiz
Wikipedia
Ballotpedia





Page last updated: Dec 09, 2016