Giuliani Campaign Press Release - Excerpts From Conference Call With Homeland Security Ranking Member Peter King Regarding Illegal Immigration

CONGRESSMAN PETER KING: "As Chairman for the Homeland Security Committee in the last Congress and as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee in this Congress it's obvious to me that immigration, illegal immigration, is not just a social issue or an economic issue, it's a national security issue, it's a homeland security issue and I strongly agree that Rudy Giuliani is the best man for that job. In fact, I intended today's news conference to be about Rudy and why I think he is the best for the job, but having seen some of the statements put out, I guess just last night and today by Governor Romney, to me his statements are so off the mark and are not backed up by facts. For instance, when he talks about how he authorized the state troopers to work with the federal government to stop illegal immigration, the fact is that plan never even went into effect. And if we're going to confront illegal immigration we need more than having plans that are never implemented and that are actually withdrawn before they ever get started. Again, the fact that there were the sanctuary cities in Massachusetts that … actually received increased aid when Governor Romney was the governor of Massachusetts, again speaks volumes. And this is all after September 11th, this is well after we realized the inherent problems that go with illegal immigration as they relate to homeland security. So clearly Governor Romney's record not only doesn't match what he's claiming, in many ways it's the opposite. And of course we go back to the whole issue of having … workers at his home being illegal immigrants.

"I am convinced that Rudy Giuliani has the plan, has the guts to stop illegal immigration. It would be from day one of his administration, a major, major priority. As soon as the whole issue with the driver's licenses, for instance, for illegal immigrants broke Rudy was on the phone with me. I've introduced legislation--he's a huge supporter of it--to prevent states from doing that. And that's just one recent example. But there's no doubt in my mind at all that where it requires fencing along the border, where it requires increased border patrol agents, more detention facilities, going after employers who hire illegal immigrants, across the board Rudy Giuliani is going to stop illegal immigration. And for those who say it can't be done, I was there in New York when people said … back in 1992 and 1993 that nobody could turn crime around, nobody could turn the City around. The fact is murders went down dramatically, overall crime rate went down dramatically. New York City is in many ways a totally new city because of the leadership that Rudy Giuliani gave. He did the impossible there, he's also going to do that as far as stopping illegal immigration when he becomes President. And it's unfortunate that Governor Romney, rather than discuss the relative merits of each other's plans, has chosen to misrepresent his own record in an attempt to tarnish Rudy's record."