Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani says if he’s elected president, he’ll deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes and closely track immigrants working in the U.S. by issuing tamper-proof I.D. cards.
"Every single person in this country that comes from a foreign country should have the same card. It should look the same. It should be the same," Giuliani said during a stop in Griswold. "No six or seven different methods of identification."
During a speech at the Iowa State Fair, Giuliani highlighted his support for a physical fence at the nation’s southern border as well as broader use of technology to track those trying to sneak across that border.
"We should end illegal immigration by first building a fence, then building a technological fence, deploying the border patrol so they can respond when they find out people are coming over the border," Giuliani said.
Griswold Mayor Jerry Putnam considers himself an Independent, but listened to Giuliani’s speech in his town on Wednesday. The western Iowa mayor agrees with Giuliani on the issues of immigration and border security, especially Giuliani’s plans for a uniform I.D. card.
"We have to have one identification system for everyone who comes into the country," he said. "…We have to have some way that can’t be counterfeited."
Giuliani made stops in Carson, Griswold, Cumberland and Greenfield on Wednesday before visiting the Iowa State Fair later in the afternoon.
Ric Hanson from KJAN in Atlantic contributed to this report.