Sali, Minnick campaigns spar about immigration
BOISE — Congressman Bill Sali’s campaign claims comments made by opponent Walt Minnick suggest the Democrat supports insurance for illegal immigrants at taxpayer expense.
The comments, recorded on video at a Sun Valley fundraiser, have been circulated by a group called Club for Truth that describes itself in an e-mail as a Washington, D.C.-based Web site not sponsored by any congressional candidate or political action committee.
In the video, Minnick remarks: “My own view is, it doesn’t make sense to try to round up, arrest and deport 12 to 20 million people. There aren’t enough police officers; there aren’t enough jails; it isn’t possible to do that.
“It would make sense to give them an incentive to emerge from the shadows, start paying taxes, start getting insurance, pay a penalty because they have violated the law and put ‘em in the back of the line for legal immigration ...”
Club for Truth characterizes Minnick’s stance as “rewarding (illegal immigrants’) crimes by giving them health insurance.”
Minnick spokesman John Foster called that interpretation “laughable.”
“This is a shady organization that is frankly lying about what Walk Minnick said,” he said. “Walt’s position on immigration has been consistent from the beginning, and it’s that we need to secure the borders, send troops to the borders if necessary. Everyone who’s failed a background check needs to be deported immediately, the remainder need to pay a fine and move to the back of the line for legal immigration.”
Sali spokesman Wayne Hoffman said the comments suggest Minnick wants to provide insurance to illegal immigrants before they are penalized or required to begin a legal immigration process.
“People who are here illegally have violated our laws, and Walt Minnick is concerned about getting them insurance. That’s messed up. ... Basically what Walt is saying is you’re not only going to let them stay here, you’re going to have taxpayers pay for their insurance,” Hoffman said.
“That’s clearly not what Walt Minnick said,” Foster said. “Walt’s position is the same held by farmers and ranchers throughout Idaho, which is that we need real immigration reform, not the kind of rigid ideology espoused by Bill Sali.”
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