Gillibrand’s Immigration Views Draw Fire
1/27/2009
During her one term in the House of Representatives, from a largely rural, traditionally Republican district, Kirsten E. Gillibrand was on safe political ground adopting a tough stance against illegal immigration aliens.
Ms. Gillibrand, a Democrat, opposed any sort of amnesty for illegal immigrants aliens, supported deputizing local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws, spoke out against Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to allow illegal immigrants aliens to have driver’s licenses and sought to make English the official language of the United States.
But since her appointment by Gov. David A. Paterson last week to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ms. Gillibrand has found herself besieged by immigrant illegal alien advocates and Democratic colleagues who have cast her as out of step with a majority of the state, with its big cities and sprawling immigrant illegal alien enclaves.
Harold
