Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson added the National Border Patrol Council to her list of supporters Tuesday, securing the backing of a union representing Border Patrol agents.
The union is the exclusive representative for Border Patrol agents and represents roughly 18,000 people. The organization has a 90% membership rate among Border Patrol agents.
Council President Paul Perez traveled to Iowa to announce the council’s endorsement of Hinson.
“Ashley has been a great advocate for the Border Patrol. She has been great for our agents. She's helped us get the resources that we need under this administration to finally secure the border once and for all. In 29 years, I have never seen the border as secure as it is now,” Perez said during a news conference in Urbandale.
While appearing with members of the Border Patrol union and other law enforcement officials, Hinson touted her record on immigration issues.
“I have fought to secure our border, help support pay raises for our border patrol agents, and give them the technology and the resources that they need to stop the dangerous drug traffickers, the dangerous criminals, and the deadly fentanyl from coming across our southern border,” she said.
Hinson said she was honored to receive the endorsement from the council.
“So why does this endorsement matter to Iowans,” Hinson said. “It matters because Iowans deserve safe and secure communities. It matters because we don't want deadly drugs harming our kids, and it matters because we don't want human traffickers to target and exploit Iowans. And by maintaining a secure border, we will continue to protect Iowans from drug cartels, human traffickers and criminals.”
Senate debate
During the U.S. Senate debate on Oct. 7, Hinson said she supported funding that included reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement agents, including requirements of body cameras.
Hinson said that ICE should be focusing on the “worst of the worst” and that the agents needed to be able to operate in their communities.
Hinson in her speech Tuesday said her opponent, Democrat Josh Turek, supports giving “taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants” and that Turek wants to “defund law enforcement and border security.”
Turek has previously said that he would oppose taxpayer-funded benefits for undocumented immigrants.
“When someone sides with illegals and helps them evade law enforcement, they are unqualified for public office, and that's Josh Turek's record,” Hinson said. “With Josh Turek, the cartels win, the traffickers win, criminal illegals win, and Iowa families lose.”
Turek said during the U.S. Senate debate that he strays from his party when it comes to immigration and would be willing to work with anyone, including President Donald Trump, for secure borders.
“I think that we can have a couple things be true at the same time. First, we need to have safe and secure borders,” Turek said. “But, at the same time, I think we can recognize that we need to have a pathway to earn citizenship for those that will come here legally.”
Campaign response
Turek said that those who have entered the country illegally and committed violent crimes should not be allowed to stay.
“Josh has repeatedly voted with Republicans to allow Iowa law enforcement to deport individuals who were here illegally, crack down on fentanyl in Iowa and keep dangerous criminals off the streets,” a Turek campaign spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “In the U.S. Senate, he’ll work with anyone – including President Trump – to secure the border and support law enforcement.”