Border enforcement focus for congressional candidate

  A central issue to GOP congressional candidate Joseph Sweeney's campaign is, and always has been, illegal immigration.

  "That is what a vote for Sweeney is all about," he said. "We can't take any more illegal aliens pouring across our border."

  Sweeney said he wants to see existing immigration laws enforced and is working to get Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in effect throughout the district.

  Section 287(g) was made law in the United States in 1996 as a result of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA).

  It authorizes the secretary of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

  "This is probably the best way to go since the federal government does not have police powers," Sweeney said. "Also, illegal immigration has become such a problem that this is also the most cost-effective way to enforce our immigration laws."

  A perennial candidate who is making his 13th bid for Congress, Sweeney is seeking the  U.S. representative seat for Congressional District 7, which includes all of Yuma County and parts of La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties.

  He is running against Democrat Raul Grijalva, who is seeking his third term in the office, and Libertarian write-in candidate Raymond Petrulsky. Sweeney won the GOP nomination by defeating fellow Tucsonan Gene Chewning in the September primary election.

  Remarks Sweeney has made over the years during his various campaigns have left him with a reputation as a racist - and left many Republicans lukewarm about supporting him. Both the Yuma County Republican Party and the Pima County Republican Party have approved resolutions stating they will neither support or endorse his campaign.

  Although it was not party position, the the head of the Yuma County Republican Party issued a similar resolution the day after Sweeney won the 2004 primary election.

  Sweeney said he would also like the Arizona Department of Education to make it mandatory that before students graduate middle school, they must pass a civics class on state and federal law.

  "This way they will be told that they will be held accountable by society for any criminal conduct and behavior," Sweeney said.

  As an example of how bad Sweeney said the illegal immigration problem has become, he estimates that one in seven residents in south Tucson are illegal aliens and that other cities in the district could eventually have similar numbers.

  In addition to the enforcement of immigration laws, Sweeney also said energy, water and transportation are key issues of his campaign, as well as protecting the value of the citizen-taxpayers' opinions.

---
BIO INFO

Age: 64

Occupation: Adult college professor/administrator

Education: University of Arizona bachelor of science (ag science/business); juris doctor, Alexander Hamilton Evening Law School

Prior offices held: Precinct committeeman for 20 years, National Service Lobby.

Immediate family members: Single

How many years in Arizona: 50 years

---
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.