Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Candidates differ on immigration issues
FAYETTEVILLE — Rivals for House District 89 disagree on whether Benton and Washington counties should keep participating in a federal program allowing sheriffs to enforce federal immigration law.
“I’m a believer that we are a nation of laws,” incumbent Rep. Jeff Williams said during a candidates forum Friday in Fayetteville.
He would willingly work with those who wish to change the laws, but until and unless that happens he’ll support local sheriffs who choose to participate in the program. “They are law enforcement officers, and they will enforce the law,” he said.
Democratic challenger Megan Godfrey said the prospect of being deported or having a family member deported puts a “layer of fear” between immigrants and law enforcement, making them reluctant to call authorities when crimes are committed against them.
“I agree we are a nation of laws, but we are also a nation of human beings,” Godfrey said.
The two candidates appeared at the hour-long forum at 6 p.m. Friday at the Fayetteville Public Library. The forums are hosted by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. Early voting in the Nov. 6 general election begins Oct. 22.
The immigration program
brought up during the forum is known as the 287(g) program, a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement giving delegated authority for immigration enforcement.
The two candidates agreed immigrants brought to the U.S. as children by parents immigrating without legal sanction and who then grew up here should be allowed to stay and receive licenses for nursing and other professions. Federal policy forbids issuing a nursing license to such undocumented residents. Williams reminded the audience immigration issues are the domain of the federal government, but said he would support changes to immigration laws to protect those who grew up here. Godfrey said she has always worked on those issues in her professional life as an educator. She’s fluent is Spanish and addressed the forum in Spanish early in the proceedings.
On other issues, Williams said he would continue his support in the Legislature for reducing state licensing requirements on professions if re-elected, saying Arkansas’ standards are seriously out of line with other states. “You can be a manicurist in Florida with 400 hours training,” he said. “In Arkansas, it’s 1,200 hours.”
“We had a program to teach inmates in state prisons a skill so they would have a profession when they got out,” Williams said. “Then licensing boards refused to issue them a license because they had convictions.”
On gun issues, Williams said laws needed more enforcement. Godfrey said more legislation was needed. For instance, she proposed stronger background checks and closing loopholes on Internet gun sales.