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Mike Huckabee for President 2012

For additional facts and documentation:

2. Mike Huckabee arranged for a Mexican Consulate to locate in Little Rock, with the State of Arkansas paying for many of their expenses, to assist the illegal Mexican immigrants.

An author and investigative journalist says Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's pledge for strong border enforcement doesn't match his record on the issue when he was governor of Arkansas. Mike Huckabee is now running for president 2012.

Huckabee continues to be dogged by a lingering controversy over the role he played in establishing a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock that was financed by Arkansas taxpayers and local businesses. The permanent facility for the consulate, located near the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, opened in April amid fanfare by supporters and protests of some who are concerned about it causing a surge of illegal immigrants into the Natural State.

According to The Morning News (Northwest Arkansa), the idea of establishing a Mexican consulate in Arkansas was first discussed by former Governor Mike Huckabee after his trip to Mexico City in 2003. Dr. Jerome Corsi recently published an article in WorldNetDaily which quotes several critics of Huckabee, who contend that the then-governor worked with some of the state’s most prominent and politically powerful businesses [Tyson Foods] to draw illegal aliens to the state to accept low-paying jobs.

Corsi claims Huckabee and the state “courted” then-Mexican President Vicente Fox to establish the consulate. “Mike Huckabee took an airplane ride in 2003, was going on down to see Vicente Fox with one of his top economic advisors,” he says, “and that started discussions where basically Arkansas came and courted Vicente Fox, saying put a Mexican consulate here in Little Rock, please.”

The investigative journalist believes the state may have overstepped its authority in urging the Mexicans to come to Little Rock, and contends the state essentially “shelled out” office space for the consulate because the Mexican government preferred to “let the gringos pay.” Corsi questions if a consortium of businesses had the legal right to “support the consular presence” during the first three years, including what appears to be the costs of building a permanent consular facility in Little Rock.

“I’m not sure that Arkansas law permits the state government to subsidize … another foreign government [in that fashion],” he shares. “I haven’t yet identified who the corporations are who paid this lease, and I still don’t know if the Mexican consulate is paying its own way or not, or if the private corporations in Arkansas are still funding the bill.” http://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/?p=5345

Arkansas attorney Chip Sexton says: "This whole scheme to get a Mexican consulate to locate in Little Rock appears to be nothing more than a veiled invitation for illegal immigrants to come to Arkansas to work for the Arkansas corporations who want cheap labor." "The package is enhanced by social welfare benefits provided by the state of Arkansas and financing assistance to support the Mexican consulate's presence in the state," Sexton said.

“Mike Huckabee is pro-amnesty and favors a path to citizenship for illegal aliens currently in the U.S. that would require a lifting of current penalties,” said William Gheen, whose 25,000-member Americans for Legal Immigration sent mass mailings yesterday to more than 300 pro-enforcement groups.

“Huckabee has released an immigration plan that contains the deceptive ‘touch back’ provision that the pushers of amnesty tried on us in Washington this year,” he said. “He wants to trick the nation by having illegal aliens leave for a day to pick up new papers at an office set up across the border and then walk right back.” Information taken from World Net Daily. ----------------------------------------

3. Governor Mike Huckbaee opposes legislation to restrict benefits to illegal immigrants.

In 2005, Huckabee called un-Christian, un-American and irresponsible a bill introduced by state Sen. Jim Holt that would have denied state benefits to illegal immigrants and would have required valid proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Huckabee told WND the senator's legislation was unnecessary, because "Holt couldn't point to illegal aliens in Arkansas who were getting benefits. It's already against state law, and we could already prosecute any illegal aliens getting state benefits that Holt could point to."

In June 2005, addressing the 76th annual LULAC convention in Little Rock as keynote speaker, Huckabee told the 10,000 political, community and business leaders in attendance, "Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority."

Huckabee told LULAC that having their 2005 annual convention in Little Rock was important, because Arkansas had one of the fastest growing populations in the nation, and "Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity 'in culture, in language and in population.'"

McCutchen acknowledged Huckabee declares on his website that he now calls for closing the borders.

"But that's 180 degrees from what he did as governor of Arkansas," McCutchen said. "Huckabee will say anything that he thinks is acceptable. He is a dangerous man."

McCutchen agrees with Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly's view of Huckabee, cited last week by John Fund of the Wall Street Journal. Schlafly said Huckabee has "destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles. Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a 'compassionate conservative' are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee."

"My overall feeling is that Huckabee is a traitor to Arkansas citizens," McCutchen stressed. "He's a multi-culturalist who has done more to damage this state than any other governor of Arkansas. During Huckabee's tenure, we've had 150,000 bankruptcies, more than all previous governors put together. We've lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 manufacturing jobs. He has almost doubled the size of state government in his tenure and he is not a man of the people."

Huckabee says on his website, "We need to create a process to allow people to come here to do the jobs – plucking chickens, tarring roofs, picking fruits – that are going unfilled by our citizens." From: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58430

Gov. Mike Huckabee heaped criticism upon immigration legislation in the Arkansas Legislature, describing it as "inflammatory . . . race-baiting and demagoguery." He also challenged the Christian values of its main sponsor.

Huckabee said the bill, seeking to forbid public assistance and voting rights to undocumented immigrants, "inflames those who are racist and bigots and makes them think there's a real problem. But there's not."

The bill is modeled after Proposition 200, approved by Arizona voters in November. The Arkansas measure was filed by Republican Sens. Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith.

Huckabee, also a Republican and a Baptist minister, said Arkansans should be welcoming hard-working immigrants of all races. He singled out Holt, who often talks of his strong Christian beliefs, saying, "I drink a different kind of Jesus juice. My faith says don't make false accusations against somebody.

"In the Bible, it's called don't bear false witness."

In response, Holt said he was hurt by the governor's questioning his faith. Holt, R-Springdale, replied later that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking. http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/000718.html

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NWA’s Hispanic numbers help land Mexican consulate office

BY STACEY ROBERTS

Posted on Sunday, October 15, 2006

The final selection of Little Rock for the regional Mexican Consulate was decided by the huge population of Hispanics in Northwest Arkansas, said Robert P. Trevino, Gov. Mike Huckabee’s policy adviser on Hispanic affairs.

“The Mexican government tracks its migrant population in the [United States ] carefully. They saw the population was following jobs to the fast-growing regions like Northwest Arkansas,” Trevino said.

Ultimately, the Mexican government decided that locating the consulate in Nashville, Tenn., or Memphis would not benefit the Northwest Arkansas Hispanic population any better than the Dallas consulate currently does, Trevino said. They would still have to travel a long way to conduct their business. A Little Rock consulate would be a large improvement for that important population, he said.

Officials hope the process begun when Huckabee visited with Mexican President Vicente Fox in Mexico City nearly four years ago will come to fruition by December.

Sometime that month, Mexican Consul-General Andres Imre Chao Ebergenyi plans to open the doors to the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock.

“When Gov. Huckabee visited, they talked about the possibility of a consulate in Little Rock. After he left, the government began working on it,” Chao said. Volumes of paperwork and many steps had to be completed before the consulate could be established, he said.

“Finally we are here,” Chao said in an Oct. 4 interview. A temporary office is in Arkansas Rehabilitation Services’ space on Corporate Hill Drive while the logistics are being worked out for the permanent building at 3500 S. University Ave. An old medical office will be converted into the consulate’s offices.

Chao hopes to begin remodeling the space immediately. Everything should be completed by December, he said.

Once the permanent office opens, Chao and the three-member staff will begin the regular work of issuing passports and other important documents for Mexican nationals in the area served by the consulate. It will be the 47 th Mexican Consulate in the United States, and will serve the mid-South, mainly Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Chao will also assume his role as the go-between for businesses in Mexico and the United States.

The consulate will either be the last to be opened during the Fox administration or the first opened in the administration of presidentelect Felipe Calderon’s administration, who takes office Dec. 1.

The state and the Mexican government are working hard to open the consulate during Fox’s administration, Trevino said.

Securing the consulate in Arkansas, rather than allowing it to go to Tennessee was important, Trevino said.

“Gov. Huckabee realized early on that states with Mexican consulates have done very well tradewise with Mexico. We did research and talked with the officials, we saw right away that we needed to be in play for the consulate,” he said.

The consulate office itself will be a business draw to Little Rock as people come to conduct their affairs with the Mexican government, Trevino said. They will stay in Little Rock hotels, eat in local restaurants and get a chance to see the city and part of the state they might not have visited without the consulate’s presence.

In 2004, Mexico’s then-consul general in Dallas, Carlos Garcia de Alba, announced the plan to build the consulate in Arkansas. Huckabee stood beside him when he made the announcement at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. Huckabee said he actively sought a Mexican consulate for Arkansas, and its arrival would open up opportunities for Arkansas businesses.

De Alba spoke at the Embassy Suites hotel in Rogers in September 2005 as part of a roundtable discussion of executives and government representatives arranged by Winrock International.

The topics were market opportunities and migration trends of Hispanics affecting business in Arkansas. De Alba was asked to address the role of the Mexican Consulate.

One of the more important services provided by Mexican consulates is to recruit and encourage investment by Mexican businesses and corporations in the United States, de Alba said.

“The U. S. government needs to be more aggressive in recruiting Mexican business investment,” he said.

Mobile consulates allow immigrants to use birth certificates and other documents from home to get passports or consular identification cards from their countries. The governments issue the documents regardless of whether the person entered the United States legally or not.

Mobile consulates typically are advertised in Spanish-language media, are held in churches or restaurants, and last a day. The country’s representative could issue documents from Mexico and register births and marriages.

In Rogers, for instance, 500 to 1, 000 people may show up at a one-day program, Eduardo Rea, a spokesman for the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, told The Associated Press in April.

“Rogers is like the big league for the Mexican population in Arkansas,” Chao said. “That community is very important and very strong.”

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Business_Matters/169828/

--------------------- Short Version

De Alba spoke at the Embassy Suites hotel in Rogers in September 2005 as part of a roundtable discussion of executives and government representatives arranged by Winrock International.

The topics were market opportunities and migration trends of Hispanics affecting business in Arkansas. De Alba was asked to address the role of the Mexican Consulate.

One of the more important services provided by Mexican consulates is to recruit and encourage investment by Mexican businesses and corporations in the United States, de Alba said.

“The U. S. government needs to be more aggressive in recruiting Mexican business investment,” he said.

WND Exclusive ELECTION 2008 Legality of Huckabee's Mexican consulate deal questioned Critics say Arkansas citizens, businesses financed office to draw illegal workers Posted: November 1, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern

Robert Trevino
Financial inducements arranged by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to establish a Mexican consular office in Little Rock may have violated state law, according to an Arkansas attorney.

As WND reported yesterday, critics in Arkansas charge Huckabee, who lately has enjoyed a surge in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, worked with some of the state's most prominent and politically powerful businesses to establish the consulate as a magnet for drawing illegal immigrants to the state to accept low-paying jobs.

Huckabee, in an interview with WND, strongly denied the allegations.

Arkansas attorney Chip Sexton provided WND a written legal brief arguing the state government's sublease to Mexico of office space for the consulate was illegal under Arkansas law. Sexton contended the deal raised questions about the appropriateness of private citizens and corporations in Arkansas providing financial incentives for the government of Mexico to locate a consulate office in Little Rock.

"This arrangement to bring a Mexican consulate to Little Rock and the manner in which it occurred amounts to a 'consul-gate,'" Sexton told WND. "I'm an Arkansas citizen, why doesn't the state lease me some property and furniture for $1 per year?"

Robert Trevino, commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, told WND he and Huckabee helped arrange state and private financial support to induce Mexico to establish the consulate as a business development "quid pro quo."

Trevino signed on July 7, 2006, a "Facilities Use Agreement" with Mexican consular officials to rent state government office space for $1 a year on the second floor of the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services building at 26 Corporate Hills in Little Rock.

Sexton points to Arkansas law, which appears to prohibit state agencies, including Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, from sub-leasing government space.

Ark. Code Ann. ? 22-2-114(C)(i) provides: "After July 1, 1975, no state agency shall enter into or renew or otherwise negotiate a lease between itself as lessor or lessee and a nongovernmental or other government lessor or lessee."

"Even more offensive, there was nothing in the lease or other agreements that would have prevented the Mexican consulate from providing legal assistance to illegal aliens," Sexton told WND. "We have information that the Mexican consulate operating out of the Arkansas Rehabilitation Facility was providing legal assistance even to Mexican illegal aliens who were accused of committing violent crimes in Arkansas."

Sexton said he and other critics have "called on the Arkansas attorney general's office to set the lease aside and recover the value of the lease."

A memo Trevino wrote July 21, 2006, indicating the mortgage for the land to build a new, permanent Mexican consulate in Little Rock was arranged by Arkansas commercial real estate developer Bob Burrow and that the $7,500 mortgage would be paid by Arkansas corporations to support the Mexican consular presence for three years.

WND also has also obtained copies of invoices from Arkansas construction contractor Baldwin & Shell charging $60,000 for building the new consulate at 3500 South University Park in Little Rock.

A copy of a check from the city of Little Rock, dated June 1, indicates contractor Baldwin & Shell was paid $60,000 as requested.

Trevino, in the WND interview, did not dispute the documentary record, but he argued the state government and the sponsoring Arkansas businesses did expect to receive financial returns, in the form of expanded exports to Mexico.

"I executed that lease agreement as part of the former governor's agreement to provide certain assistance to Mexican officials once they located to Little Rock, because their offices wouldn't be ready for some time," Trevino said.

Trevino explained that the counsel general of Mexico, Carlos Garcia de Alba, on behalf of the Mexican government, had asked for Huckabee's consideration.

"So, the sublease agreement was in fulfillment of Governor Huckabee's agreement to assist them as they moved to Little Rock," he said.

Trevino further explained the written sublease agreement came only on the insistence of the Arkansas Building Authority.

"The request from the Mexicans was strictly to allow their officials to use their computers, to have a seat and a chair, to be able to plug their computers in to do business," Trevino said. "It wasn't ever envisioned to be a long-term agreement. It was just a temporary opportunity for them."

Trevino said Mexican officials estimated their permanent office would be available within a few months.

"We had some office space that we weren't using but the state was paying for anyhow," he explained. "We would not be able to use that office space, because the furniture which was adapted for people with disabilities and our staff wouldn't be available until November."

Trevino said Arkansas officials felt, therefore, "it was cost-effective for us to kill two birds with one stone."

"It was a quid pro quo in that the Mexican government was already helping Arkansas businesses to compete selling their products in Mexico," he said. "We had already realized some benefit, so it was basically a good natured gesture – an expression of a mutual working relationship with regard to promoting Arkansas products in Mexico."

The State Building Authority, which regulates the buildings, he said, then recommended Arkansas "put something in writing, because oftentimes for contingencies and liabilities we would be at least underscore that we were establishing them to allow to work from that office for a short period of time."

Essentially, Trevino argued, "we were covering the state's interest. We were making official an informal agreement."

Trevino argued that the temporary space provided the Mexican consulate was not used to conduct official consular business.

"They weren't even empowered to conduct official duties at that time," he said. "They had only two staff members, including the current consul in Little Rock. They felt like because of the time frame was so abbreviated because of their need, they just needed someplace to put their computer, as I mentioned."

Arkansas private investigator Michael Hardy disagreed, arguing in a July 25, 2006, investigative report, a copy of which has been provided to WND, that Arkansas receptionists were taking messages for the Mexican consulate at 26 Cooperate Hills.

"On July 25, 2006, I went to 26 Cooperate Hills," Hardy told WND in telephone interview yesterday, "and Stephanie, the receptionist on duty when you first enter the building told me that the two Mexicans were not there that day, but she was instructed to take messages for them when they were not present."

Hardy left a message for Consul Andres Chao, but never received a return call.

Trevino confirmed that Arkansas business leaders and corporations arranged the land purchase and paid the mortgage on the Mexican consulate's new building.

"Mr. Burrow had developed not only a friendship but a business interest in Mexico," Trevino told WND. "He had offered to the Mexican government to sponsor and facilitate their location to Arkansas, and that was an agreement made between Mr. Burrow and the Mexican government, which you'll have to speak to them (about). That was beyond my authority and my official duties."

WND placed a second phone call yesterday to Burrow's Jonesboro office but received no return call.

"With regard to the other companies," Trevino continued, "there were some companies that came to our attention that we conveyed over to the Mexican government, companies that had said they were interested in sponsoring the Mexican government."

Trevino told WND he could not recall which Arkansas companies were involved in sponsoring the Mexican companies.

"A number of companies, particularly ones who do business internationally, were very excited about the prospect of a Mexican consulate establishing a presence in the state, which was for the reasons I stated earlier – for enhanced business development opportunities for Arkansas companies," Trevino explained.

"If you have spent any time in Arkansas, you know people are very generous and hospitable here," he continued. "So that was, from my perspective, that was their intent – to demonstrate to the people of Mexico who were in part their consumers, that they welcomed an opportunity to strengthen business opportunities between our state and their economy in Mexico.

"These companies had discussions with the Mexican government that they would sponsor the Mexican government to entice them, if you will," he said. "I should point out that this was the last consulate appointed under the presidency of Vicente Fox, and the competition among states was very keen from what they said. Other states wanted Mexico to establish a Mexican consulate, as I mentioned, because a lot of trade opportunities come with these consulates."

Trevino emphasized: "It never was our intent to get involved in the immigration issue or to aid illegal immigration, that's a federal issue. Our interest and emphasis was and is strictly business development."

He pointed to the many Arkansas companies, including Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods, that "do a good deal f business in Mexico,"

"So the more we can facilitate better trade with that country for our companies located here in Arkansas, we have a duty to do that as officials," he said.

Arkansas attorney Sexton disagreed, insisting, "This whole scheme to get a Mexican consulate to locate in Little Rock appears to be nothing more than a veiled invitation for illegal immigrants to come to Arkansas to work for the Arkansas corporations who want cheap labor." "The package is enhanced by social welfare benefits provided by the state of Arkansas and financing assistance to support the Mexican consulate's presence in the state," Sexton said.

Trevino confirmed he was state director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also known as LULAC, an activist group strongly advocating for rights of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S., when on Oct. 3, 2003, he accompanied Huckabee in a state airplane to visit Fox in Mexico.

In 2003, Trevino was Huckabee's economic development policy adviser.

In October 2005, Trevino was appointed by Huckabee to his current position as commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services.

Sexton is a partner in McCutchen, Sexton, Strunks, a Fort Smith, Ark., law firm.

Sexton represented long-time activist Joe McCutchen in multiple Freedom of Information Act requests that produced the documents discussed in this story.

Joey McCutchen II, Sexton's partner in the Fort Smith law firm, is the son of activist Joe McCutchen, who was quoted previously by WND.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58455

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Mexican consulate deal dogs Huckabee campaign Critics charge he established 'magnet' for illegals financed by citizens, U.S. businesses Posted: October 31, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee
A lingering controversy over the role former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee played in establishing a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock financed by taxpayers and local businesses continues to follow the Republican presidential candidate's campaign, even as he enjoys a surge in polls.

Critics in Arkansas contend Huckabee worked with some of the state's most prominent and politically powerful businesses to draw illegal immigrants to the state to accept low-paying jobs.

Huckabee strongly denied the charges in a telephone interview with WND yesterday.

This week, as WND reported, Rasmussen Reports added Huckabee to its daily tracking of top tier GOP presidential candidates following a surge that pushed him past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with the support of 13 percent of likely voters nationwide. In Iowa, a University of Iowa poll released Monday showed Huckabee surging to a virtual tie for second place in the key primary state with Rudy Giuliani at 13 percent.

One of Huckabee's Arkansas critics, long-time border-security activist Joe McCutchen, told WND that Freedom of Information Act documents he obtained show unusual business practices and possible improprieties in a 2006 Huckabee decision to attract a Mexican consulate to Little Rock.

Space in an Arkansas government facility was leased for $1 a year to the Mexican government to establish the Mexican consulate until a permanent Mexican consulate facility could be built, at the expense of Arkansas citizens and corporations.

McCutchen charges that Huckabee made the deal with Mexico in order to attract illegal immigrants into the state to work in politically connected Arkansas businesses seeking to exploit low-cost immigrant workers.

"Huckabee is an open borders multi-culturalist who put the will and needs of Arkansas corporations before the needs of Arkansas citizens and taxpayers," McCutchen charged.

In his telephone interview with WND, Huckabee insisted his major goal in establishing a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock was to assist Arkansas companies in export-import business with Mexico.

He also contended the Mexican consulate in Little Rock would make it easier for Arkansas to determine that immigrants had legal status to work in the state.

"Wal-Mart is the largest private sector employer in Mexico," Huckabee told WND. "We also have a lot of small manufacturing companies you've never heard of that make things that are then used in Mexico in manufacturing in Mexico."

Huckabee explained that there were two basic reasons his administration wanted the Mexican consulate office in Little Rock.

"First, we wanted to accommodate the business that was increasing between Arkansas businesses and Mexican businesses," he said. "Second, if people were going to come to Arkansas, we wanted them to follow legal processes, rather than just be illegal. We wanted people to come to Arkansas and get the proper paper work and do things with a work permit and a visa. It's so much easier to do that if you have a consulate where people can go to get proper documentation, rather than just accommodating people illegally."

McCutchen's accusations trace back to an Oct. 3, 2003, trip Huckabee, as governor, took with economic development adviser Robert Trevino in a state airplane to visit with Mexico's president at the time, Vicente Fox.

During the trip, Huckabee and Trevino explored with Fox the possibility of establishing a Mexican consulate in Little Rock.

Trevino served from 200-2004 as district president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also known as LULAC, an activist group strongly advocating for rights of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. In 2004, he was appointed commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, the state agency that subleased the space for the Mexican consulate.

McCutchen's claims regarding the financial arrangements of establishing the Mexican consulate in Little Rock are backed up by Arkansas government documents he has obtained in numerous Freedom of Information requests. He provided copies to WND for examination.

A "Use of Facilities" agreement signed July 7, 2006, obtained in the FOIA request and posted on McCutchen's website shows the Mexican consulate subleased at the cost of $1 per year a facility in an Arkansas Rehabilitation Services building designated as, "Administrative office space for limited purpose."

A July 21, 2006, memo from Trevino's office also documents that a consortium of Arkansas corporations had agreed to "support the consular presence" during the first three years, including what appears to be the costs of building for Mexico a permanent consular facility in Little Rock.

The Trevino July 21, 2006, memo specifies that Mexico would not pick up the full costs of staffing the consulate and the mortgage on the new facility until the beginning of the fourth year, in 2010.

The memo explains the cost of purchasing the site and building the Mexican consulate would be sponsored by an unnamed group of Arkansas corporations which "have expressed an interest in supporting the consular presence during the first three years."

WND has obtained a copy of a memo detailing a letter Arkansas Assistant Attorney General Bishop Woosley sent to McCutchen's attorney filling in the blanks of the redacted paragraphs of Trevino's July 21, 2006, memo.

Woosley's letter indicated the mortgage payment for the Mexican consulate was $7,500 per month, arranged by Arkansas real estate developer Bruce Burrow.

Burrow is the chairman of the board of Burrow Halsey Realty Group, Inc. and a principle in MBC-Holdings, in Jonesboro, Ark.

WND also has obtained copies of invoices from Arkansas construction contractor Baldwin & Shell charging $60,000 for building the new Mexican consulate at 3500 South University Avenue in Little Rock.

WND also has a copy of a check from the city of Little Rock, dated June 1, indicating Baldwin and Shell were paid $60,000 as requested.

Reporting by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette backs up McCutchen's claims and adds further details to the FOIA documents WND has examined.

On Oct. 18, 2006, the newspaper reported the $1-a-year lease offered by Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, commenting, "The Huckabee administration is giving virtually free temporary office space in Little Rock to Mexican consular officials while the Mexican government prepares to move into a permanent facility this fall."

The newspaper noted the Arkansas Building Authority, which handles leases for state agencies, valued the temporary office space at $572 per month.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported the opening of the newly built consulate office at 3500 South University Ave. in Little Rock on April 25 in a ceremony that included the signing of a sister-city agreement with Pachuca, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

When asked about the business arrangements, Huckabee told WND he did not dispute any of the details regarding the Mexican consulate sublease or the private financing of the construction of the Mexican consulate's new building.

A legal analysis on McCutchen's website suggests Huckabee violated Arkansas law in permitting the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services to sublease its property to the Mexican consulate.

Huckabee told WND the sublease was legal "under the auspices of economic development."

"There was nothing untoward or secretive about the sublease," Huckabee said. "We are proud of the efforts, because we were doing two things we thought were important – building economic capacity in the state, helping our businesses have economic opportunities and at the same time helping curb illegal immigration by making sure people had a greater level of access to get legal status."

Prominent Arkansas journalists in background briefings with WND painted a different picture, arguing Huckabee put out a subtle, but clear message to illegal immigrants from Mexico, "We wish you no ill in Arkansas. You are welcome to come here to live and to work."

Huckabee's message was not hard to understand, an Arkansas source explained.

"Arkansas has a lot of low-skilled jobs, including a lot of chicken slaughter houses, and the employers wanted low-pay workers," the source said.

McCutchen put it more bluntly.

"When he was governor of Arkansas, Huckabee ran what amounted to a sanctuary state," he told WND.

"Huckabee's real goal was to create the Mexican consulate as a magnet to bring illegal alien workers into the state," McCutchen said, "to benefit companies like Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart, OK Foods, Simmons Foods, George's Farms, Inc. and a host of smaller operations who wanted to employ the illegals for their cheap labor."

Border-security activist Kenny John Wallis, who runs the Arkansas blog Keep Arkansas Legal, agrees with McCutchen.

"Huckabee wanted to attract the illegal immigrants for the employers in the state like Tysons Foods that wanted cheap labor," Wallis told WND.

"In a nutshell, Huckabee went to Mexico a little over three years ago to create a Mexican consulate," Wallis said. "He then had his deputy Bob Trevino work out a deal where the Mexican Consulate was allowed office space at the Arkansas Rehabilitation Center for $1 a year. The Mexican Consulate also had mobile consulates where Mexican officials in vans went across the state helping illegal immigrants stay and work in the state."

Huckabee denied that his goal was to attract illegal alien workers to Arkansas.

"It's simply untrue," Huckabee told WND. "I know for a fact that John Tyson and others diligently tried to make sure that there was legal status to their employees. That doesn't mean that there weren't illegal immigrants working there, often with false documents.

"Just common sense tells you a multi-billion dollar multi-national company, whether it's Wal-Mart or Tyson Foods, is not going to intentionally hire illegals and potentially have the kinds of problems they are going to have from it, just to have somebody picking the feathers off chickens," Huckabee told WND.

Still, in May, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported federal immigration agents arrested 21 illegal aliens during a raid on an Arkansas Mexican restaurant chain.

That followed federal immigration operations two weeks earlier that arrested more than 100 illegal aliens working at a George's Farms poultry processing plant in Butterfield, Mo., just north of the Arkansas state line in Barry County, Mo.

Earlier this month, seven employees of George's Farms in Missouri were arrested on federal charges of hiring illegal immigrants at the processing plant in Barry County.

George's Farms is headquartered in Springdale, Ark.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Arkansas had a 2006 population of about 2.8 million people, including some 131,000 Hispanics, about half of whom were estimated to be illegal immigrants.

McCutchen estimates the number of illegal aliens currently in Arkansas is over 200,000.

"Arkansas has been known for low-skilled businesses, including animal slaughter houses," McCutchen said, "businesses that tend to attract Hispanic illegal immigrants with low educational levels, willing to work for minimal pay and virtually no benefits."

Huckabee faced criticism as governor for supporting pre-natal care for pregnant illegal immigrants and a proposal to allow illegal aliens who graduate from Arkansas high schools to apply for state college scholarships.

Huckabee defended the effort, telling WND, "Amendment 65 to the Arkansas constitution says that life begins at conception, and it is the duty and responsibility of the state to do everything possible to protect and preserve human life from conception until its natural conclusion."

"I took an oath to uphold the state constitution," Huckabee continued. "In addition to the civil obligation, I feel I have a moral obligation as a pro-life person to protect all life from the moment of conception.

"Besides, on a practical standpoint, we could give pre-natal care without regard to immigration status to virtually every unborn child in the state cheaper than we could afford the cost of taking care of one child born with serious birth complications," Huckabee argued. "So for us, it was both a constitutional matter as well as a practical matter. We don't punish children for the sins of their parents."

McCutchen acknowledged Huckabee declares on his website that he now calls for closing the borders.

"But that's 180 degrees from what he did as governor of Arkansas," McCutchen said. "Huckabee will say anything that he thinks is acceptable. He is a dangerous man."

"My overall feeling is that Huckabee is a traitor to Arkansas citizens," McCutchen stressed. "He's a multi-culturalist who has done more to damage this state than any other governor of Arkansas. During Huckabee's tenure, we've had 150,000 bankruptcies, more than all previous governors put together. We've lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 manufacturing jobs. H e has almost doubled the size of state government in his tenure and he is not a man of the people."

Huckabee's campaign website lists his "number one immigration priority" as "to secure America's border."

"There's nothing I'm ashamed of at all," Huckabee continued. "I would be happy to accommodate the Dutch government. I went to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan to pursue trade opportunities. Any time we can bring good paying jobs to the state, or when we can help keep jobs in our state that are doing business with companies in other countries, that's what I assumed a governor was supposed to do."

WND asked Huckabee if he had exerted similar efforts to get consulate offices established for China or any other country with which Arkansas was doing business. He could not cite any other similar efforts.

WND contacted Burrow's Jonesboro office for comment but received no reply.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58430

Save a link to this article and return to it at www.savethis.comSave a link to this article and return to it at www.savethis.com Email a link to this articleEmail a link to this article Printer-friendly version of this articlePrinter-friendly version of this article Huckabee promotes 'open door' policy at LULAC convention Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

By Wesley Brown
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK - In a impassioned speech before hundreds of influential Hispanic civil rights leaders from across the nation, Gov. Mike Huckabee told a captive audience Wednesday that America is great because it has always opened it doors up to people seeking a better way of life.

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," Huckabee said, citing the Golden Rule. "I have tried to govern that way and it stands to reason that I really do believe that what made this great country so great and so unique is that it has always been a place for people to run to - and not run from.

"I would hope that no matter who we are, or where we are from, that America should always be a place that opens its arms, opens it heart, opens its spirit to people who come because they want the best for their families ...," Huckabee said as the largely Hispanic audience gave him a standing ovation.

Huckabee was the keynote speaker, along with Tyson Foods Inc. Chairman and CEO John Tyson, at a noon luncheon of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which is holding its 76th annual convention in Little Rock.

About 10,000 political, community and business leaders, along with exhibitors and speakers are in Little Rock attending the convention at the Statehouse Convention Center. The convention started Monday and runs through Saturday.

Although he never actually talked about the U.S. or Arkansas immigration policy, Huckabee made it very clear where he stood on the issue. In his opening remarks, he said the nation will need to address the concerns of the Hispanic community because of its growing influence and population base.

"Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority," Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter.

He told the LULAC delegates that their presence in the state's capital city was very important because Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation.

"Your gathering is so very significant for our state," Huckabee said. "We are delighted to have you."

Despite several light moments, Huckabee did not stray away from several controversial issues that made him a target of criticism during the recently ended 85th General Assembly. He said Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity "in culture, in language and in population."

"This is an issue that is going to require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the border, particularly those coming from Mexico," Huckabee said of verifying the status of illegal aliens. "But I am confident that our government will recognize that we should accommodate people who wish to provide the best opportunities for their families (and) employers so that we can make sure our economy has the necessary work force."

During the legislation session, Huckabee criticized an immigration bill by Republican senators Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life.

Senate Bill 206, which died in the Senate, would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote and also force state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally. Holt, R-Springdale, replied later to Huckabee's comments that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.

The Republican governor, who many believe will run for president in 2008, also backed legislation that would have opened the door for illegal immigrants in Arkansas to receive college scholarships.

House Bill 1525 by Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, was approved by the House but eventually failed in the Senate. Huckabee reiterated Wednesday that he believes every child, regardless of their parent's immigration status, should have an opportunity to receive an education in the U.S.

"I ... believe that an education for every child is the most important single factor to give everyone to be their very best," he said.

In one humorous moment, Huckabee sounded very much like a presidential candidate when he recalled his educational upbringing in Hope and reminded the crowd that another famous Arkansas governor and former president grew up in the small southwest Arkansas town.

"I too still believe in a place call Hope," Huckabee said, mimicking former President Clinton's famous acceptance speech at the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Before Huckabee spoke, John Tyson thanked the Hispanic community for standing by the Springdale-based food giant during the federal government's investigation of the company a few years ago. The U.S. Justice Department investigation alleged that Tyson helped to smuggle illegal aliens into the U.S. and employed them at various chicken-processing plants across the Southeast.

After a seven-week trial, Tyson and several managers of poultry processing plants were acquitted in March 2003 of those charges.

"At the time, it was a very difficult and very tough time for our company," Tyson said. "Thank you LULAC for standing by us."

Tyson also credited LULAC leaders for pushing the company to add Hispanics to the Tyson board and promote more Latinos to upper management and executive positions.

He also said in that last 15 years, the number of Hispanics that work for the Arkansas company has increased significantly.

"I am proud to tell you that more than 40,000 of our workers are Latinos," Tyson said of the company's 114,000 employees. "We are learning, growing and benefiting from that diversity." http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/06/30/News/323746.html

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee Calls Immigration Reform Legislation Racist, Un-Christian [Update] By Digger

Arkansas is putting through legislation asking for verified identification for voting and denying taxpayer funded benefits and services to those illegally in our country. Sounds reasonable to me and Arizona put the same thing in place with Proposition 200 which was approved November 2004. Well apparently it doesn't sound reasonable or "Christian" to the current Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee.

Arizona Republic

Gov. Mike Huckabee on Thursday heaped criticism upon immigration legislation in the Arkansas Legislature, describing it as "inflammatory . . . race-baiting and demagoguery." He also challenged the Christian values of its main sponsor.

The bill is modeled after Proposition 200, approved by Arizona voters in November. The Arkansas measure was filed by Republican Sens. Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith.

"In the Bible, it's called don't bear false witness."

In response, Holt said he was hurt by the governor's questioning his faith.

"I just want to uphold the law and protect the benefits that apply to citizens," Holt said.

Which one sounds like a lunatic and which one sounds like a logical thinker? If you want to go around doing the Christian good and ignoring the law go become a monk or priest and leave the enforcing of laws to those who want to do it. I can't believe that a Governor, someone who is looked upon as a person who is wanting the law to be upheld, could stoop to a personal attack on someone who is suggesting what the majority of the public wants.

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Update (7:40PM PST)