Border issue comments heat up congressional race

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

The Republican nominee for the Third Congressional District in New Mexico does not favor placing land mines along the U.S. border with Mexico as part of a solution to immigration issues.

Speaking before a Tea Party group in Ro Rancho on Monday, Tom Mullins said he expects some negative backlash from comments he made to a Las Vegas, N.M. radio station during his primary campaign. 

Mullins said he was asked by the interviewer about the border issue, especially in light of the recent passage of a controversial Arizona law on the issue. Citing his background as an engineer, Mullins told the Rio Rancho audience he told the interviewer that the United States could consider several options, inkling mining the border, since it has not signed a world land mine treaty in a dispute over existing mines separating the two Koreas.

“I am not for putting land mines along the border,” Mullins said. “I am comfortable in what I said, though I probably will be hammered for it in the press. The federal government is responsible for enforcing the borders, and I simply said that as a technical solution land mines are one thing that could be considered.

“Imagine if we had another Sept. 11 type incident and we found out the terrorists crossed into the United States through Mexico. I could envision where Congress would go into action the next day and consider anything, including land mines. That’s all I said.”

Some in the audience of approximately 25 laughed along as Mullins talked about the reaction he expected, while others wondered out loud if placing mines along the border might not be a good idea. That was among the more conservative views voiced in the 90 minute meeting, of which about an hour was spent on questions-and-answers with the candidate.

Mullins addressed other issues as well, including energy policy, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, taxes, constitutional rights and election strategy and numbers.

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