Sen. Grassley calls for secure borders during Wilton stop

By John David – WQAD8 – July 2, 2015

As Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa, brings his 99-county tour to Wilton on Thursday, spectators like Dave Watkins worry about immigration reform.

“We need to figure out a way to get legal immigrants into this country and illegal immigrants out of this country,” said Watkins, Moscow, Iowa.

Sen. Grassley says he supports some reforms to immigration.

“There is need for some legal immigration, but everybody sees it being abused by the number of undocumented workers,” he said.

Chairing the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, Sen. Grassley will have a lot of influence.

After past legislative delays, though, he’s waiting for House action before moving in the Senate.

“We should secure the border first,” he said.

That prompted more questions from the Town Hall audience of about 100 in Wilton.

“How would you determine when and if the border is secure?” asked Tom Barr, Nichols, Iowa.

Security could include fencing, electronics or even drones.  But Sen. Grassley says that political pressure is putting it on the back burner.

“Other people think it’s okay not to have a secure border because they want the cheap labor to come in,” he said.

Participants aren’t happy with responses from President Obama and the Supreme Court.

They worry about the impact on immigration reforms.

“What can you do to get back to following the laws of the land and honoring the Constitution?” asked Barr.

“Either pass new legislation, or have a president that will enforce securing the border,” Sen. Grassley said.

“If we would enforce our laws, people would not come over,” Watkins concluded.

Points to ponder as the debate on immigration reform continues in Iowa and across the country.