With the special session on immigration reform over, debate on the contentious issue moved Wednesday to the governor’s race.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez’s campaign accused Democratic rival Bill Ritter of favoring amnesty for illegal immigrants.
“Amnesty is a slap in the face to the millions of people around the world who have saved and worked for years to come here legally,” said Beauprez’s campaign manager, John Marshall.
He defined amnesty as “people getting to stay here and getting to butt in line” for citizenship.
But Ritter said he favors the same approach as Republican President Bush, granting illegal immigrants guest-worker status and that “to get in line to become citizens, they have to get in the back of the line.”
Lawmakers concluded a special session on immigration Monday, passing a package of bills that Democrats and Republican Gov. Bill Owens called the toughest in the nation.
Even so, Marshall said he expects immigration to remain a key issue in the governor’s race.
“It’s very clear that the voters are very focused on this issue. They understand that it’s a significant problem,” he said. “They would like our next governor to recognize it as a problem and agree to put politics aside and solve the problem.”
The legislature, Marshall said, dealt with banning most state services to illegal immigrants. But the state should also beef up law enforcement and employer sanctions.
For his part, Ritter said, the state has done what it can do on immigration reform and should urge the federal government to act.
If Beauprez thinks immigration is such an urgent issue, Ritter said, the congressman from the 7th District should urge U.S. House leaders to act on reform now.
But like his Republican leadership, Beauprez is “not making those demands because he has a hope that it’s this wedge issue that will drive his base.”
The next governor, Ritter said, should lean on the federal government for enforcement. As Denver district attorney, he said, he urged federal immigration officials to deport illegal immigrants convicted of felonies but was told they lacked the resources to do so.
Staff writer Chris Frates can be reached at 303-820-1633 or cfrates@denverpost.com.
