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Anti-Immigrant Group Endorses Massachusetts Senate Candidate Scott Brown

Yesterday, the anti-immigrant group Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) announced its endorsement of Massachusetts state Senator and GOP Senate candidate Scott Brown. ALIPAC commends Brown for opposing “amnesty” and for denying undocumented immigrants drivers licenses as a state legislator and his opposition to granting undocumented youth in-state tuition:

“Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee (ALIPAC) is endorsing Scott Brown for U.S. Senate today due to his campaign’s focus on the issue of the illegal immigration and his opponent Martha Coakley’s support for Amnesty for illegal aliens.

Scott Brown has publicly stated he opposes Amnesty for illegal aliens while Coakley has state she supports Amnesty,” said William Gheen, president of ALIPAC. “His vote in opposition to Amnesty will be needed in a few weeks as President Obama, with Democrats in the Senate and House, and a handful of misguided Republicans attempt to pass new Amnesty legislation.

ALIPAC states that it is making a donation to Brown’s campaign and is urging its 30,000 members to donate, volunteer, and vote for him. Meanwhile, the Southern Poverty Law Center points out that the group “is supported by” the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a designated hate group. ALIPAC claims to only support “candidates who make illegal immigration reduction a top priority.”

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Brown’s challenger, Martha Coakley, is attacked by the group for having “clearly stated she supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amnesty.” It’s true that Coakley has pledged to “reform our system to ensure illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.” Yet while amnesty is defined as an action that unconditionally pardons a group of people without imposing any penalties, a path to citizenship usually implies an earned process of legalization which would involve registering with the government, submitting to background checks, paying taxes, learning English, and paying a fine. Coakley and Brown are in a tight race for the Senate seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) — a champion of immigrant rights and a tireless advocate for comprehensive immigration reform.