Congressman Steve King — an advocate of tougher U.S. immigration policy — says he fears the recent protests which have brought thousands of immigrants into American city streets will cause some in Congress to lose their nerve.
King cites Monday’s rally in Washington, D.C. as an example. “It’s probably the largest gathering in the history of America,” King says. “I’m concerned that the people who stand up for a sovereign nation…and the rule of law may be losing their will. I will not lose my will.” King last fall advocated building a fence along the U.S./Mexico border, making it a felony to be in the country illegally and imposing hefty penalties on those who hire illegals.
King had people on his staff go to the rally in Washington, D.C. “One of the things that one of our interns told me was that there was an undercurrent there that said to her ‘We’re here and there’s nothing you can do about it,'” King says. “That message says a lot about what is going on.”
King, though, isn’t sure how the rallies will impact public opinion. “I’m not sure how Americans will respond to what they saw on their televisions yesterday,” King says. An immigration rally in Des Moines on Sunday drew over five-thousand, and King says he’s not surprised since he represents Buena Vista County which has the highest population of Hispanics of any county in Iowa and ranks high among the counties in America with the most Hispanic residents.