Bloomberg
By Terrence Dopp
July 2, 2015
Chris Christie has a message for Republicans in the immigration debate: don't trust anyone trying to sell you a fence.
The
52-year-old New Jersey governor, who's waging an uphill race for the
Republican party's presidential nomination, on Thursday reiterated his
opposition to building
a fence that spans the southern border with Mexico. That position puts
him at odds with a number of his rivals, most notably Donald Trump, the
outspoken billionaire who has been making headlines (and losing
contracts) with his incendiary remarks about America's
southern neighbor. Among other things, Trump has vowed to build a wall
between the two nations and to make Mexico pay for it.
"Please
be careful about anybody who's running for president who is going to
tell you that they're going to build a wall across the entire southern
border. It's not going
to happen; it's the wrong message to send and it's not going to be
effective," Christie told 50 people who attended a town hall meeting at
the Pink Cadillac Diner in Rochester, New Hampshire. "Always beware of
of the candidate for public office who has the
quick and easy answer to a complicated problem."
“It's not going to happen.”
Afterwards,
Samantha Smith, Christie's campaign spokeswoman, said the governor was
outlining long-held positions and not reacting to Trump's statements.
In
Nashua later, Christie told reporters Trump has every right to be in
the race and will be taken "as seriously as he conducts himself." The
governor in the past has
called Trump a friend. But his assessment of Trump's remarks about
Mexico was less-than flattering. "The comments were inappropriate and
have no place in this race," Christie said.
Christie,
on his second full day of campaigning after making his bid for the
presidency official, put the undocumented worker dilemma in terms
Republican budget hawks
could appreciate: "Think about it what that's going to cost," he said.
He also argued that it would be ineffective. "I know the human spirit,"
he added. "I've never seen a wall that was big enough or tall enough to
stop a person who was determined to get over,
under or around it from getting over, under or around it."
While
Christie no longer supports giving people in the United States
illegally a pathway to citizenship, he dismisses the idea that they can
all be sent home (not enough
law enforcement in all the land to deport an estimated 11 million
people, he said). To combat illegal immigration, he wants to expand
e-verify employment checks. For border protection he favors drones and
electronic surveillance.
"Let's
not kid ourselves that this is the easy answer," he said of suggestions
to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. "There may be certain
spots where it makes
sense to build a wall or build a fence. But not the whole thing."
The
governor, who said he'll have more to say about his immigration policy
later this month, is in the middle of the pack in a crowded Republican
field and on the bubble
for making the 10-person Republican presidential debate that FOX is
planning to sponsor next month. Focusing on the Granite State and its
first-in-the-nation primary, with its history of favoring underdog
candidates, Christie has said he plans to crisscross
New Hampshire and the country, appearing at small events and town halls
as he attempts to win over voters.
Christie
became the 14th Republican in the race when he declared Tuesday that
he's officially in. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Ohio Governor
John Kasich are expected
to announce their own campaigns later this month.
In
an area less controversial with his party colleagues, Christie took the
opportunity to blast the Dodd-Frank Act. He said the sweeping financial
regulatory law has strangled
lending and damped the housing market. If elected, Christie said he
would exempt state and locally chartered banks from the law's
requirements.
During
his visit to Nashua, Christie picked up the endorsement of former Mayor
Bernie Streeter. The mayor has endorsed a candidate in every New
Hampshire Republican primary
election since Richard Nixon and said he hasn't picked a loser yet.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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