Candidate Brian Kemp and his Big Truck for rounding up criminal illegals Photo: The Hill

Dalton Daily Citizen News
January, 15, 2020
OPINION
Letters

Remembering Kemp’s promises on illegal immigration

Gov. Brian Kemp has regularly boasted of his business-first approach to governing and enhancing the climate for corporate profit in Georgia. But the watchdog media has neglected to note the tradeoffs he has made or the trusting conservative voters he has betrayed by ignoring campaign promises.

Surprising few political insiders, illegal immigration seems to have dropped off of the governor’s radar since Election Day 2018.

The left-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy Institute says Georgia is home to more “undocumented workers” than green card holders. The federal Department of Homeland Security says we host more illegals than Arizona.

This, despite state laws passed nearly every year since 2006 to make Georgia inhospitable to illegal immigration. The regulations in place — including the state’s E-Verify laws — would serve the intended purpose if they were actually enforced — or even noted — by Gov. Kemp.

Georgians should realize most illegal immigration is a direct result of illegal employment and must be recognized as the organized crime that it is. Kemp is silent on the entire issue.

“Business friendly” is a term that is counter to “pro-enforcement” on immigration. Dalton conservatives have their own problems in that Republican state Sen. Chuck Payne has pledged his allegiance to the billionaire-funded, anti-enforcement group FWD.us that lobbies in Washington, D.C., and the state Capitol. Payne has described his work with the group as “a moral imperative and a political obligation to my constituents and the health of our country and economy,” according to Georgia Recorder.

Conservative voters who can remember back to the summer of 2018 may recall “Brian Kemp’s Track and Deport Plan,” an extremely detailed campaign promise aimed at illegal aliens who commit additional crimes. “As governor, conservative businessman Brian Kemp will create a comprehensive database to track criminal aliens in Georgia. He will also update Georgia law to streamline deportations from our jails and prisons” went the pledge. We challenge readers to find mention of any of this from the governor — or the Georgia media — since he was elected.

All this is yet another brilliant example of “silence is consent” and will continue until GOP voters find the courage to challenge the governor and the business lobby that has taken over the Gold Dome.

D.A. King

(King is president of the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society, which advocates for immigration enforcement)

Here.