{"id":1188809,"date":"2022-01-04T22:20:53","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T03:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1188809"},"modified":"2022-01-04T22:21:14","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T03:21:14","slug":"exclusive-texas-gop-candidate-ditches-pro-amnesty-thesis-champions-hardline-immigration-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-texas-gop-candidate-ditches-pro-amnesty-thesis-champions-hardline-immigration-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive&#8211;Texas GOP Candidate Ditches Pro-Amnesty Thesis, Champions Hardline Immigration Agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-texas-gop-candidate-ditches-pro-amnesty-thesis-champions-hardline-immigration-agenda%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1188809&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">Christian Collins, running in Texas\u2019s 8th congressional district with Sen. Ted Cruz\u2019s (R-TX) endorsement, is campaigning on a hardline immigration agenda after once taking a softer stance on the issue in a master\u2019s thesis nearly ten years prior.<\/p>\n<p>Collins, whose Liberty University thesis was <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.liberty.edu\/masters\/299\/\">published<\/a> in 2013, reviewed the voting patterns of Hispanics compared to their beliefs on economic and social issues with an emphasis on the 2012 presidential election.&nbsp;The thesis was removed from Liberty University\u2019s website though Breitbart News has since obtained a copy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThis paper has been withdrawn,\u201d a note reads on the Liberty University page where Collins\u2019s thesis <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.liberty.edu\/masters\/299\/\">was once<\/a> publicly available.<\/p>\n<p>The thesis was written and published amid the backdrop of the 2012 presidential election and an amnesty effort by a group of eight Senate Republicans and Democrats known as the \u201cGang of Eight.\u201d While then-GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney lost to then-President Obama in the 2012 election, the amnesty effort the following year was pushed fiercely by the political establishment but ultimately failed.<\/p>\n<p>In the thesis, Collins suggests that Romney was \u201cnot on the winning side\u201d of the immigration issue because \u201che neglected to make Hispanics feel included in his vision for America, having emphasized more than once that he did not support a pathway to citizenship or permanent residency for\u201d illegal aliens.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Collins also blamed \u201cthe rhetoric used by some members of the Republican Party, including \u2026 Romney\u201d on immigration as having \u201conly alienated Hispanics\u201d while then-President Obama signed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).<\/p>\n<p>The thesis states:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>In the summer leading up the 2012 election, P<strong>resident Obama made an executive decision that allowed for any younger undocumented immigrant to be able to stay in the US without the fear of being deported<\/strong>. According to a CNN article, President Obama stated, \u201cThis is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It\u2019s not a permanent fix. This is a temporary stopgap measure.\u201d&nbsp;<strong>In making this executive decision, President Obama bolstered support amongst Hispanics<\/strong>. [Emphasis added]\n<p>All while in contrast, <strong>the rhetoric used by some members of the Republican Party<\/strong>, including Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, <strong>only alienated Hispanics<\/strong>. [Emphasis added]\n<p>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>In the final analysis, <strong>Romney eventually moderated his stance on illegal immigration reform leading up to November, but in no way did it help him<\/strong>. In the 2012 Election, President Incumbent Barack Obama garnered 71% of the Hispanic vote. Governor Romney earned the least support amongst Hispanics of any Republican Presidential candidate in the last 20 years. [Emphasis added]\n<p>Romney blamed much of his loss on his failure to connect with Hispanic voters. This may well be due in part because<strong> he neglected to make Hispanics feel included in his vision for America, having emphasized more than once that he did not support a pathway to citizenship<\/strong> or permanent residency for immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally.&nbsp;In summary, <strong>the 2012 Presidential Election may&nbsp;have indicated that some Republicans were not on the winning side of this issue. <\/strong>Governor Mitt Romney was clearly not in any case. [Emphasis added]\n<p><strong>If true, this does not portend well for future Republican political campaigns<\/strong>. According to a Pew study, voters were asked about what should happen to unauthorized immigrants working in the U.S. According to the national exit poll, and 77% of Hispanic voters said these immigrants should be offered a chance to apply for legal status while 18% said these immigrants should be deported. Among all voters, fewer than two-thirds (65%) said these immigrants should be offered a chance to apply for legal status while 28% say they should be deported. [Emphasis added]\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In statements to Breitbart News, Collins said he believes Romney lost the election because he was not hard enough on former President Obama\u2019s record, particularly over the deadly Benghazi terrorist attack, and he allowed the establishment media \u201cto dictate the narrative and attack him relentlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMitt Romney was also (and still is) a middle-of-the-road moderate that didn\u2019t stand then or now for these principles,\u201d Collins wrote. Collins continued:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack then, Democrats\u2019 and Republicans\u2019 orthodoxy virtually agreed on everything from trade to foreign policy and immigration, but disagreed on some social issues and marginally on the corporate tax rate,\u201d Collins continued. \u201cIt\u2019s little wonder why the establishment coalition of Democrats and Republicans in Washington is called the \u2018Uniparty.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>The thesis mimics that of the Republican National Committee\u2019s (RNC) infamous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2013\/03\/18\/autopsy-is-the-right-word-rnc-releases-report-on-party-s-future\/\">\u201cautopsy\u201d report<\/a> following the 2012 election. The autopsy claimed that Republicans, in order to win elections in the future, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2016\/11\/09\/amnesty-rnc-2012-autopsy-said-immigration-reform-path-victory\/\">must embrace<\/a> amnesty for illegal aliens.<\/p>\n<p>The year Collins\u2019s thesis was published, Senate Republicans in the Gang of Eight attempted to garner support for what would have become the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2013\/07\/15\/gai-report-senate-immigration-bill-corporate-amnesty-get-out-of-jail-free-card\/\">largest amnesty<\/a> in American history \u2014 allowing most of the 11 to 22 million illegal aliens living in the United States to avoid deportation while securing work authorization and, eventually, green cards.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>A supporter of the amnesty was then-San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro (D), whom Collins interviewed for the thesis. In 2013, <a href=\"https:\/\/sanantonioreport.org\/mayor-castro-and-business-leaders-call-for-reasonable-immigration-reform\/\">Castro said<\/a> he supported the amnesty partially because it helped provide businesses with endless flows of foreign workers to hire from. Castro said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019m confident that the business community of Texas \u2026 sees the benefit of passing this legislation. From high-technology companies that would benefit from more H-1B visas to industries like the restaurant industry \u2026 that rely on lower-skilled workers. Industries across the U.S. have said loudly and clearly that this immigration reform is good for business.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In Collins\u2019s interview, Castro framed the future of Texas and the Republican Party:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Q: Is the evolution of Texas, that it\u2019s likely to become a more competitive state, a function of simple demographics? <strong>Is it a function of a Republican Party that\u2019s moved too far to the right?<\/strong> Or is there something more Democrats have to do to become? [Emphasis added]\n<p>A: I would say that it\u2019s three things: <strong>it\u2019s demographics that everyone talks about, it\u2019s the movement of people from more moderate states into Texas<\/strong> because Texas has done well economically compared to other states during this downturn, <strong>and third that Republicans are losing the business and moderate community because they\u2019re moving so far to the right.<\/strong> Of course, it\u2019s going to take more than just standing in place for Democrats to win. I do think that they could win in 15 years by just standing in place, but to accelerate that, they need a very compelling message, they need strong candidates. <strong>It\u2019s when the message, the candidate and those three factors come together \u2013 especially the demography \u2013 that we\u2019ll hit the end zone.<\/strong> [Emphasis added]\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Collins also asked how Republicans could better win over Hispanic voters, to which Castro replied the GOP must adopt a pro-amnesty platform and change its positions on voter ID:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Q:&nbsp;How successful do you think the Republican Party can be and <strong>what would they have to do a better job winning Hispanic votes?<\/strong> [Emphasis added]\n<p>A:&nbsp;Hispanics are generally Democratic voters, even though it is true that it\u2019s a community of strong faith and one might think that on some issues they would gravitate toward Republicans. <strong>The rhetoric around immigration reform and most importantly the policies that Republicans have adopted<\/strong> \u2013 whether it\u2019s voter ID or, in Texas, underfunding education, opposing the expansion of healthcare \u2013 <strong>these policy decisions send out a strong message to many Hispanics that\u2019s unwelcoming, on top of their rhetoric on immigration reform<\/strong>. So they have impressive office holders like [Sen. Marco] Rubio, [Nevada Gov.] Brian Sandoval, [New Mexico Gov.] Susanna Martinez. But it\u2019s not about personalities; it\u2019s about the policies. <strong>What the Republican Party needs if it wants more Hispanic votes is to change its policies<\/strong>. It\u2019s going to take more than knocking on doors or candidates speaking a few lines in Spanish. It\u2019ll take a moderation of their policies. [Emphasis added]\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Collins told Breitbart News he is running on a hardline immigration agenda \u2014 a shift that is indicative of the larger growth within the Republican Party in the last decade to embrace the plight of working and middle class Americans over the interests of big business\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis paper was written in college shortly after the election in 2012, almost 10 years ago,\u201d Collins wrote in a statement. \u201cSince then, I\u2019ve spent my entire adult life fighting for conservative principles, most importantly border security.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Collins said the U.S. must finish constructing a wall along the southern border that had started construction decades ago with bipartisan support but became partisan when Democrats sneered at the proposal by former President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Ending Catch and Release by fully reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, where border crossers are almost immediately returned to Mexico while awaiting their asylum hearings, are among some of the most popular positions Collins is now running on.<\/p>\n<p>As opposed to a number of Republican lawmakers who speak endlessly about the burden of illegal immigration, Collins has committed to supporting legal immigration reductions including a total halt to immigration until illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border is reigned in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI also support a moratorium on immigration until we stop the flow of illegal immigration,\u201d Collins told Breitbart News.<\/p>\n<p>In a NumbersUSA survey, Collins has committed to reducing legal immigration levels below their current historic highs, as well as opposing birthright citizenship, mandating E-Verify, and&nbsp;cutting various work visa programs that often displace working and middle class Americans from blue collar and white collar jobs while depleting wages in their respective industries.<\/p>\n<p>The survey and Collins\u2019s answers were shared with Breitbart News:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-04-at-10.00.55-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19355218\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-04-at-10.00.55-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1012\" height=\"1244\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-04-at-10.01.22-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19355194\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-04-at-10.01.22-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1006\" height=\"1314\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19355186\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-04-at-10.01.34-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19355186\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-04-at-10.01.34-AM.png\" alt=\"(Courtesy of Christian Collins)\" width=\"1004\" height=\"444\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>(Courtesy of Christian Collins)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Collins blasted President Joe Biden and his administration for their handling of illegal immigration over the last year whereby nearly two million illegal aliens arrived at the southern border and hundreds of thousands were released into the U.S. interior.<\/p>\n<p>Their goal, Collins said, is to \u201ccreate a massive new voting bloc\u201d of voters to overtake states like Texas. Castro has been open about the Left\u2019s intended goals with immigration:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Hispanic vote in Texas will continue to increase. By 2024 Democrats can win Texas, Arizona and Florida. A big blue wall of 78 electoral votes. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6FT0NJyjyP\">https:\/\/t.co\/6FT0NJyjyP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Juli\u00e1n Castro (@JulianCastro) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JulianCastro\/status\/955673490098704384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 23, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cSadly, Biden\u2019s and the Left\u2019s open border policies have caused an unprecedented flow of child, sex, and drug trafficking, including fentanyl that\u2019s killed over 100,000 this year alone in the U.S; not to mention the loss of billions of dollars due to illegal immigration every year at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer,\u201d Collins wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe bottom line is that a nation without borders is not a nation at all,\u201d Collins continued. \u201cWithout this strong stance by our leaders, we will lose our sovereignty, security, and our identity as a country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Collins has been endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), among others. In 2013, during the Gang of Eight amnesty push, <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/ted-cruz-and-jeff-sessions-attack-gang-of-eight-immigration-reform\/\">Cruz joined<\/a> Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) in proactively fighting the amnesty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the most egregious aspects of the Gang of Eight bill is its intersection with Obamacare, which penalizes businesses that hire a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident over an illegal immigrant,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruz.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/sen-cruz-current-immigration-bill-doesn-and-146t-fix-the-problem\">Cruz said<\/a> during a rally against the amnesty, with Sessions, in 2013.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is utterly and completely indefensible,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cIf this bill passes it will increase unemployment: it will increase African American unemployment, Hispanic unemployment, youth unemployment, and even legal immigrant unemployment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like Cruz, the House Freedom Caucus is supporting Collins in the congressional race and its political action committee (PAC), House Freedom Fund, has officially endorsed his candidacy. A report from Texas Citizen Journal notes that as of early November 2021, Collins has <a href=\"https:\/\/citizenjournal.news\/2021\/11\/07\/christian-collins-receives-244000-from-house-freedom-action\/\">received<\/a> $244,000 from House Freedom Action.<\/p>\n<p>A number of Freedom Caucus members similarly fought the Gang of Eight amnesty and the Republican establishment\u2019s efforts to reshape the party into a pro-amnesty coalition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe president and Senate Gang of Eight push an amnesty bill that fails all three tests. It costs American taxpayers a 50-year net tax loss of $6.3 trillion,\u201d Freedom Caucus member Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al.com\/breaking\/2013\/05\/rep_mo_brooks_vows_to_oppose_a.html\">said<\/a> in 2013. \u201cIt gives amnesty to people whose first step on American soil was illegal conduct. It does not secure America\u2019s borders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another Freedom Caucus member, Louie Gohmert (R-TX), led House Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/EcmNg\">in an effort<\/a> to stop the Gang of Eight amnesty.<\/p>\n<p>Collins is running in a crowded field of Republicans for the Texas House seat, against other Republican candidates like Rep. Paul Gosar-endorsed Jonathan Hullihan and Rep. Dan Crenshaw-endorsed Morgan Luttrell.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JxhnBxnder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christian Collins, running in Texas\u2019s 8th congressional district with Sen. Ted Cruz\u2019s (R-TX) endorsement, is campaigning on a hardline immigration agenda after once taking a softer stance on the issue &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1188809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1188809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188809\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1188809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1188809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1188809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}