Tough stance on immigration

YAKIMA — In an unexpected move, the state Republican Party on Saturday adopted a platform that states children of illegal immigrants should not be allowed to become United States citizens.

The platform, at least with respect to the children of illegal immigrants, goes further than measures currently under consideration in the Congress. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution recognizes citizenship for all persons born in the United States.

The state party struck a more strident tone on the issue than President Bush's approach.

But state Republican Party Chairwoman Diane Tebelius said she believes the party's position reflects how Washington voters feel.

"I think voters realize immigration is a problem and are trying to grapple with solutions to the illegal-immigration problem," she said. "This is what our platform says, and we'll see what happens in Congress."

However, state Attorney General Rob McKenna, one of the state's most prominent Republicans and a keynote speaker at the convention, disagreed with the move.

"I believe the [U.S.] Constitution provides otherwise," McKenna said, adding, "I believe that if you are born here, you should be a citizen."

Delegates arguing in favor of the move complained about the cost to hospitals where illegal immigrants have their children. "Once they have babies, they can get on welfare and all sorts of stuff," said one delegate supporting the proposal.

Also, the delegates Saturday approved a position that calls for millions of workers here illegally to leave the United States in order to apply for a guest-worker program.

"If someone breaks into your home, they're not a guest," said the delegate who sponsored the amendment. "If they break into your country, they're not a guest."

Fredi Simpson, an Hispanic GOP activist from Chelan County and the party's newly elected national committeewoman, said the position on guest workers will be unpopular among growers and their workers.

"That's going to be the toughest one for me to explain," Simpson said. "They have to go home before they can come back?"

Both moves came after a relatively short debate with only a few dissenting voices. Party platforms are supposed to represent a party's basic philosophy and its position on specific issues. The state GOP platform covered topics ranging from energy to health care, in addition to immigration.

McKenna said he doubted the party's positions on immigration would have much effect one way or the other in the coming election. "By and large, voters don't pay much attention to the platform," he said.

U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings of Pasco told the delegates before the debate began, "When we leave here, we'll talk about our platform."

Hastings may not, though. He has been an outspoken supporter of a guest-worker program that would allow agricultural workers to legally stay in the country temporarily.

State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz said the GOP platform "is a punitive and inhumane response to the immigration issue America is confronting."

Pelz predicted it would be an "embarrassment" to Republican candidates. "Abraham Lincoln is turning over in his grave," Pelz said.

The state Republican Party's position on immigration goes in a different direction from a bill just passed by the U.S. Senate. That measure would let illegal immigrants who have been in the country five years or more to remain and eventually become legal permanent residents and citizens. But they'd have to pay fines and back taxes and learn English.

The Senate bill is considered by some as a bipartisan compromise to a House measure passed last year on a largely party-line vote. That bill had no provision to allow illegal immigrants to become citizens. It also made their illegal presence in the country a felony.

A recent poll by Seattle pollster Stuart Elway found that most Washington voters felt that illegal immigrants should be allowed to become citizens.

About 67 percent of Washington voters said immigrants who have lived here a number of years should be allowed to apply for legal status and eventually become citizens if they meet conditions such as paying a fine and back taxes. And 13 percent said illegal immigrants should be declared felons and not allowed to work.

Some information in this report came from Seattle Times reporter David Postman, The Associated Press and Seattle Times archives.