I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Republican candidates for Congress are split on support for the controversial Arizona immigration law that has ignited debate and protests over the law that some think will lead to racial profiling.
Jon Barela, who is running against Albuquerque incumbent Martin Heinrich, was the only Republican candidate to say he opposed Arizona’s strict new law, while Tom Mullins, who is challenging Santa Fe’s Ben Ray Lujan, was the only one to say he supports the law. The other candidates avoided taking a stand.
Arizona’s law is an act of exasperation with Washington,” Steve Pearce, running to regain his seat in the 2nd Congressional District, said in a statement.
“The Northern and Southern borders are becoming more unsafe every day. Terrorists and the trafficking of drugs and humans must be stopped.The 9-11 terrorists came across the northern border. Cartel violence is beginning to spread to this country,” Pearce said.
Despite Pearce’s assertion, the 9-11 Commission found early reports that the 9-11 terrorists came into this country through Canada were not true; its final report confirmed that none of the 9-11 terrorists entered the country from Canada, as this Washington Post story says.
“Citizens, legal immigrants, and those legally in the process of immigration have nothing to fear from this law,” 3rd Congressional District candidate Tom Mullins said in a statement. “I support our law enforcement professionals as they apply commonsense in protecting our citizens.”
Mullins also said the law was put in place because “the federal government has not protected our borders and has mismanaged legal immigration.”
His opponent in the Republican primary, Adam Kokesh, also said the bill was a response to federal inaction, though did not take a stance on the law itself.
“The current federal top-down approach has failed us,” Kokesh said in a statement. “We need a historically-based legislative approach to reform, recognizing the diversity of needs and unique concerns of our local governments. When it comes to immigration policy, one size clearly does not fit all.”
Estevan Lujan, the campaign manager for 1st Congressional District candidate Jon Barela, told The Independent in an e-mail, “Jon is opposed to the AZ immigration law and feels there is a better, more comprehensive way to reform our nation’s immigration system.”
All three members of Congress from New Mexico, all Democrats, are opposed to the Arizona law.
Updated 3:29 pm:
The Independent asked Pearce about his comments linking the 9/11 terrorists to travel from Canada and provided him the findings of the 9/11 Commission.
Pearce responded in a statement saying, “Thank you I will look into that more. The fact remains we need to secure all of our borders north, south, east and west.”
