Dalton Daily Citizen

May 24, 2018

Immigration on top of voter’s minds

Jill Nolin CNHI newspapers

Susan McCorkle knew Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle was her guy in the governor’s race when she checked off three things: Conservative, Christian and a firm stance against illegal immigration.

The 67-year-old retiree who lives in Rocky Face was so sure of it that she scooted to downtown Dalton on the first day of early voting to cast her ballot.

McCorkle lives in ruby red Whitfield County, where nearly 71 percent of voters backed President Donald Trump. But the northwest Georgia county is also home to a growing Latino population that includes many young people who are able to remain in the country through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“I’m a Christian first and I’m going to treat people with respect. I’m not going to pinpoint somebody and be disrespectful to them, because they’re God’s child,” McCorkle said as she left the Dalton-Whitfield Senior Center, which serves a voting precinct, after finishing a yoga class.

“But I do believe that if you break the law, there’s a penalty for breaking the law,” she said.

The Republican candidates squared off for months over their get-tough views on illegal immigration.

Cagle vowed to heed Trump’s call and send Georgia National Guard troops to the Mexican border. Cagle will be in a run-off next month with Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who said in a political ad that he was ready to personally round up “criminal illegals.”

Aside from pro-gun pledges, talk of tackling illegal immigration dominated the Republican primary. One candidate, Michael Williams, who didn’t break 5 percent in the final vote tally, even went so far as to hit the road with a “deportation bus” that he promised to fill with criminals if elected.

None of this fazed Erin Babb, a 40-year-old Dalton social worker and Democrat who said her daughter attends school with immigrant children.

“It’s not surprising, given what’s coming from the top,” Babb said, referring to President Donald Trump. “It’s just more of the same.”

But one Republican voter, who declined to give her name, said she was troubled by political rhetoric that seemingly lumps all newcomers together — violent criminals and all. The woman said she has developed friendships with the Hispanic members of her church whose status is unknown to her.

But throughout this community, passions on immigration run hot. Many Republican voters interviewed for this story said they were pleased to hear candidates focus on the issue during the primaries.

“A lot of people won’t say it, but I think we’re allowing too many people illegally into our country,” Whitfield County voter Frank Land as he left the Varnell Parks and Recreation Center. “And they’re taking up a lot of our resources through the food stamps and everything like that. I think we’ve got our own people we need to feed.”

Strong feelings on immigration nearly cost state Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, his seat under the Gold Dome.

The first-term lawmaker drew an opponent who criticized Payne for not supporting a proposal to issue a special driver’s license to those who lack lawful status, such as DACA recipients.

Payne has cited practical reasons for opposing the bill, which he said would needlessly expand government. His lack of support caused the bill to fail in a committee, although the measure later made it out of committee without his aid. It eventually stalled.

The Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce fought the measure for other reasons. Rob Bradham, who is chamber president and CEO, told lawmakers this session that thousands of DACA recipients live in the northwest Georgia community.

Many of them are on the payroll of some of the Carpet Capital’s large flooring manufacturers, he said.

The state is home to an estimated 21,600 DACA recipients, according to a federal report released last fall. The majority of them — about 15,700 — live in the greater Atlanta area. About 1,500 live in Gainesville. Dalton was not included in the report.

“If you vote for this bill and pass this bill, it will make it more difficult for our employers, who are in a tight labor market as a it is, to employ these DACA recipients who want to be productive members of our community and are productive members of our community,” Bradham told lawmakers at the time.

Payne’s opponent, Scott Tidwell, said… Read there rest here.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites.