The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism: on Immigration


Tea Party: Oppose use of government services by illegal immigrants

Tea Partiers regularly invoke illegal immigrants as prime examples of free-loaders who are draining public coffers. In our interviews, Tea Party people placed little emphasis on the threat of immigrants taking American jobs. Instead, the major concern was the illegitimate and costly use of government funds and services by illegal immigrants. Tea Party members base their moral condemnation on the fact that these are "lawbreakers" who crossed the border without permission and thus are using American resources unfairly.

Tea Party participants across the US are very worried about the receipt of public assistance or use of government services by unauthorized immigrants. Those we interviewed worried that immigrants were being given "rights" that she and others had had to "earn."

Source: The Remaking of Republican Conservatism, p. 71-72 Jan 2, 2012

  • The above quotations are from The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism,
    by Theda Skocpol and Vanessa Williams.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Immigration.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Tea Party on Immigration.
  • Click here for more quotes by Republican Party on Immigration.
2016 Presidential contenders on Immigration:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Feb 21, 2019