A coalition of conservative groups gathered at the State House on Saturday to champion a crackdown on illegal immigrants and chastise what they see as the reluctance of federal officials to do the job.
Controlling the nation’s borders is vital to the nation’s future, state Rep. Tim Scott of Charleston said during the two-hour rally that attracted nearly 150 people.
“If we can send a man to the moon, why can’t we build a fence across our borders?” he told the crowd. “It’s a matter of national security.”
Scott, the Republican nominee in the 1st U.S. House district along the coast, is seeking to become the nation’s first black G0P congressman since 2003.
He expressed support for making anyone of foreign birth carry documents showing they are in the United States legally.
That requirement would help deter a steady influx of illegal immigrants taking jobs away from Americans and driving up the cost of health care and social services, Scott said.
The rally was organized by the new South Carolina Black Conservative Movement, described by founders as an affiliate of Tea Party interests.
Most members of the crowd were white, but organizers are happy with the turnout.
“We believe in the same things,” said Rowena Booker of West Columbia, an Allen University computer instructor who heads the new group.
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