IOWA CAUCUSES

Santorum: Deportations a 'blessing' for Latin countries

William Petroski
bpetrosk@dmreg.com

Gladbrook, Ia. — Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum says the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants would be a “blessing” to impoverished Latin American countries that would benefit from skills they have learned in the United States.

The Republican presidential candidate spoke of his plans to deny American employment to undocumented immigrants as he recounted a conversation he had with a Storm Lake school teacher who questioned his deportation plans.

Storm Lake has a large immigrant population and he said the teacher told him the vast majority of her students are from minority families with English language abilities and work experience.

“My response is, ‘Great. Do you realize what a blessing they will be to their country when they go back?’ " Santorum told about 10 people Monday during a town hall meeting at the Gladbrook City Center.

He said many undocumented immigrants are from poor countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, all of which he described as a “mess,” and would benefit from a large influx of people with American work skills and a knowledge of democracy.

“You are talking about folks who are going to be the leaders of their countries,” Santorum said. “I think that the best thing that we can do to stem the tide of illegal immigration is to have them go home and save their countries.”

Santorum said nearly half of the nation’s 12 million undocumented immigrants have overstayed their visas and he proposed giving them three months to return home voluntarily. People who complied would be permitted to return in the future to the U.S., but those who had to be deported would be banned from returning, he said.

Santorum was accompanied Monday in Marshalltown and Gladbrook by state Rep. Dean Fisher, R-Garwin, who is supporting his presidential candidacy. “This man has very strong conservative values, and most importantly, he sticks with them,” Fisher said.

During a stop at VGM & Associates, a member service organization in Waterloo, Santorum insisted he still has a chance to do well in the Feb. 1 Iowa presidential caucuses, although he trails far behind in Iowa polls. Four years ago when he won the Iowa caucuses, he said more than a third of his supporters decided to support his candidacy on caucus day and he believes he still has time for a comeback.

John Gallagher of Dyersville, who works at VGM, posed for a photo with Santorum and agreed to host a house party for him, even though he’s still undecided whom he will support in the caucuses.

“I like his views on national security and his views on overregulation — that there’s too much regulation,” said Gallagher, who served in the U.S. Army.

About the event

SETTINGS: Fisher Community Center auditorium in Marshalltown, City Center in Gladbrook, and VGM & Associates Auditorium in Waterloo.

CROWDS:  25 in Marshalltown, 10 in Gladbrook and 25 in Waterloo on a frigid January day where people braved morning temperatures that were below zero.

REACTION:  Friendly and polite audiences at all three stops that asked pointed questions about policies ranging from Social Security to the federal debt and listened closely to Santorum’s answers.

WHAT'S NEXT: Santorum headed to Waverly, Charles City and  Decorah after leaving Waterloo. He begins the second day of a three-day Iowa campaign trip on  Tuesday with a speech at Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona to the 10th Annual Renewable Fuels Summit.

Rick Santorum speaks Monday at VGM & Associates in Waterloo.
Rick Santorum speaks Monday at the City Center in Gladbrook, Iowa.
Rick Santorum speaks Monday at the Fisher Community Center in Marshalltown.