Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement
Post Office Box 55511
Jackson, Mississippi 39296-5511
601.894.2215
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As you know, election day is Tuesday, November 6th. On September 19, 2007, MFIRE mailed a survey, with 10 statements about illegal immigration, to candidates running for statewide office. Below is a list of the candidates to whom the survey was mailed. We have indicated who did or did not respond. Following the list of candidates are MFIRE’s 10 statements, and the positions on our 10 statements of those candidates who responded to our survey. After that you will see “MFIRE Summary of Responses”. We have posted this data on our website, and have sent this email to 89 Mississippi newspapers.
Governor:
Haley Barbour (Republican) – responded to survey
John Eaves, Jr. (Democrat) – did NOT respond to survey
Lieutenant Governor:
Phil Bryant (Republican) – responded to survey
Jamie Franks (Democrat) – responded to survey
Secretary of State:
Delbert Hoseman (Republican) – responded to survey
Robert H. “Rob” Smith (Democrat) – responded to survey
State Auditor:
Stacey Pickering (Republican)- did NOT respond to survey
Mike Sumrall (Democrat) – did NOT respond to survey
State Treasurer:
Tate Reeves (Republican) – did NOT respond to survey
Shawn O’Hara (Democrat) – responded to survey
Public Service Commissioner:
Charles Barbour (Republican) – responded to survey
Attorney General:
Al Hopkins (Republican) – responded to survey
Jim Hood (Democrat) – did NOT respond to survey
Commissioner of Agriculture:
Paul Leslie Riley, Jr. (Constitution Party) – responded to survey
Lester Spell (Republican) – did NOT respond to survey
Rickey Cole (Democrat) – responded to survey
Commissioner of Insurance:
Mike Chaney (Republican) – responded to survey
Gary Anderson (Democrat) – did NOT respond to survey
Commissioner of Transportation (Central District):
Dick Hall (Republican) – responded to survey
Rudy Warnock, Jr. (Democrat) – did NOT respond to survey
Commissioner of Transportation (Northern District):
Bill Minor (party affiliation unknown) – did NOT respond to survey
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Illegal Immigration Survey
for
Candidates for Mississippi Statewide Elected Office
1. Mississippi and its municipalities should not be allowed to violate federal laws by enacting sanctuary policies that shield illegal aliens from federal immigration laws or interfere with their apprehension.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Charles Barbour, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: None
2. Mississippi should not provide non-federally mandated government subsidies (in-state tuition, non-emergency healthcare, etc.) for illegal aliens.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Charles Barbour, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: None
3. Applicants for publicly-subsidized housing should be required to submit legal proof of United States residency prior to being approved.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “If you are checked out before getting a DL, that driver’s license should be accepted as proof of legal status. Continuous checks erode our civil liberties.”)
4. All Mississippi government agencies and their contractors should be required to use the automated, rapid-response system created by the Federal government to verify the legal status of new employees and prevent the hiring of illegal aliens.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Charles Barbour, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: None
5. All employers in Mississippi (public and private) should use the E-Verify Program (formerly the Basic Pilot Program) to verify worker eligibility.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: Delbert Hoseman, Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “Would this duplicate #4?”)
Additional comment: Rickey Cole (In our survey statement #5, Cole added the words “be required to” between the words “should” and “use”. Thus the sentence would read, “All employers in Mississippi (public and private) should be required to use the E-Verify Program (formerly the Basic Pilot Program) to verify worker eligibility” [underscore emphasis added by MFIRE].
6. Mississippi should abide by and enforce the federal Real ID driver’s license requirements as enacted and authorized by Congress.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Shawn O’Hara, Al Hopkins, Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: Paul Lesley Riley, Jr.
Undecided: Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “I am not familiar with this. Could I be directed to a website where I could find out more?”)
Not answered: Robert H. “Rob” Smith (Smith’s comment: “This Act was not funded.”)
7. Mississippi should not provide vehicle registration tags to anyone without a valid driver’s license and/or proof of legal residency in the United States.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “See #3. License – yes. Other documents – no.”)
8. Mississippi and its local law enforcement officers should be permitted to check the residency status of people arrested or given traffic tickets.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Delbert Hoseman, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “This is a federal responsibility. As a County Supervisor, I know that if you do one thing for the state or feds, they’ll let you do it all. Especially for tickets.”)
Undecided: None
9. Mississippi should create a special law enforcement task force to assist federal authorities to identify people who are in our state illegally.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Haley Barbour, Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Al Hopkins, Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney
Disagree: Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “Please see comment on #8. Hinds County currently houses people for Border Patrol/ICE without compensation. People they arrest and bring to our jail. Create your own force and the federal forces will leave the job to us.”)
Undecided: Delbert Hoseman, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Dick Hall
10. Mississippi should follow the lead of Georgia, Oklahoma and Arizona in enacting legislation to protect our citizens from the harmful effects of massive illegal immigration.
( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Undecided
Agree: Phil Bryant, Jamie Franks, Robert H. “Rob” Smith, Shawn O’Hara, Charles Barbour, Al Hopkins, Paul Lesley Riley, Jr., Rickey Cole, Mike Chaney, Dick Hall
Disagree: None
Undecided: Haley Barbour (Haley Barbour’s comment: “needs more specifics.”), Delbert Hoseman (Hoseman’s comment: “Am not familiar with the law in Georgia, Oklahoma, or Arizona.”)
Additional comment: Charles Barbour (Charles Barbour’s comment: “I would like to see this legislation.”)
Statement at bottom of survey sent to each candidate:
I attest that my answers accurately represent my position on the issues addressed in this survey and understand that my responses will be made public on the Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement (MFIRE.ORG) website.
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MFIRE Summary of Responses
Haley Barbour (Governor): 9 statements agreed; 1 statement undecided.
Phil Bryant (Lieutenant Governor): 10 statements agreed.
Jamie Franks (Lieutenant Governor): 10 statements agreed.
Delbert Hoseman (Secretary of State): 7 statements agreed; 3 statements undecided.
Robert H. “Rob” Smith (Secretary of State): 9 statements agreed; 1 statement not answered, with comment.
Shawn O’Hara (Treasurer): 10 statements agreed.
Charles Barbour (Public Service Commission): 4 statements agreed; 2 statements disagreed; 4 statements undecided.
Al Hopkins (Attorney General): 10 statements agreed.
Paul Leslie Riley, Jr. (Commissioner of Agriculture): 8 statements agreed; 1 statement disagreed, 1 statement undecided.
Rickey Cole (Commissioner of Agriculture): 10 statements agreed.
Mike Chaney (Commissioner of Insurance): 10 statements agreed.
MFIRE
11/3/7
Dick Hall (Commissioner of Transportation – Central District): 9 statements agreed; 1 statement undecided.
Magnolia Tribune
