Garcia would prefer technology over ‘Trump’s wall’ at US-Mexico border
Oct 16, 2018, 8:10 AM | Updated: 9:04 am
Gubernatorial candidate Democrat David Garcia gives a few remarks to the media following a televised debate in the AZPM studios, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, Tucson, Ariz. (Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star via AP)
(Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star via AP)
PHOENIX — Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Garcia clarified his positions on border security and immigration after a video of him seemingly calling for open borders surfaced.
During an August speech at the Netroots Nation, a political convention for progressive political activists, Garcia said, “Just imagine, no wall. No wall in southern Arizona.”
Video of the speech quickly went viral and was used in several political ads.
But Garcia said the clip was taken out of context.
“That clip was part of a broader speech about (President Donald) Trump’s wall,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Tuesday.
“I think it’s a bad physical barrier to put between us and our largest trade partner,” adding that it would be ineffective and a bad use of resources.
“Putting up a physical barrier is not what we should be doing,” Garcia said. “We should focus on technology and patrolling our highways 24/7.”
Garcia reiterated his commitment to serving the border while advocating for better immigration policies for “those ready to contribute to the United States.
“As long as we continue to use immigration as a political issue, not in terms of policy, we’re not going to get to a meaningful solution,” he said.
Another major topic in the Arizona gubernatorial race has been education, and Garcia, an Arizona State University professor, advocated for higher pay for teachers.
“We need to treat teachers like professionals, we need to pay them like professionals,” Garcia said.
“It’s not a profession if you have to work two or three jobs to stay in the classroom.”
