A Republican candidate for Iowa’s First Congressional District seat has taken his campaign on the road, a long distance. Brian Kennedy of Bettendorf is in Texas, touring the Rio Grande River valley. He says it’s a “hot spot” for illegal immigration into the U.S.
Kennedy says he was briefed by the Texas governor’s homeland-security advisor and was told they’ve given up waiting for the federal government to secure their borders and the state and local governments are taking the lead, putting in place border patrol agents and other enforcers needed there.
Kennedy, a former chairman of the Iowa Republican party, says Congress needs to take action immediately to stop illegal immigration. He says he visited with the sheriff in Zapata County, Texas, who told him of detaining people who weren’t coming from Mexico, but were originally from South America, or Asia or even the Middle East. He wonders why they’re coming here and why via this route. Kennedy’s a lawyer in Bettendorf.