Gingrich: Young Americans 'Massacred' by Illegal Immigrants

WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Tuesday he is "sickened" that President Bush and Congress went on vacation "while young Americans in our cities are massacred" by illegal immigrants.

Gingrich, who is considering a run for the White House, was referring to the recent execution-style murders of three college students on a school playground in Newark, N.J.

One man whom police believe was involved in the murders — Jose Lachira Carranza — is an illegal immigrant from Peru who had been released on bail on charges of raping a child when the murders occurred.

Gingrich said that the "war here at home" against illegal immigrants is "even more deadly than the war in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"The federal government's incompetence, timidity and uncoordinated efforts to identify and deport criminal illegal aliens have had devastating consequences for innocent Americans," Gingrich said in a newsletter.

"As an American, I am sickened that the political leadership of America could continue to go on vacation and do nothing," he said. "Why are the August vacations for the president and the Congress more precious than the lives of young Americans who are being killed because of government incompetence and inaction?"

Gingrich said another suspect in the Newark murders is an illegal immigrant from Nicaragua with a long record of arrests who was ordered deported in 1993 but never left.

However, The (Newark) Star Ledger reported Tuesday that the man — Rodolfo Godinez — obtained permanent legal residency in 2001.

The Newark Police Department did not return requests for comment.

Gingrich said that Bush ought to be furious at the failure of bureaucracies to protect the American people.

In addition, he said the president should call Congress back into a special session for three days to pass a bill in honor of the slain students.

The measure should order the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to outsource the development of an identification system to check the legal status of felons and have it up and running by Jan. 1, 2008, he said. He added that the government should withdraw federal aid from any city, county or state that refuses to participate in checking the legal status of arrested felons.

"No illegal alien criminal will be released back into the American population to prey upon Americans," he said. "After they finish time for their crime, they will be retained until deported."

At the White House, spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said that "the president is deeply saddened by this tragedy and his heart goes out to the victims' families."

"Officials at the Department of Justice work tirelessly every day, around the clock to combat crime in communities across our country," she said.

John Trasvina, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said it is "beneath contempt" for Gingrich to use the tragic, violent murders in New Jersey to attack immigrants, particularly at a time when many immigrants are fighting for the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's unfortunate that he finds that the road to the White House is going to be the low road," Trasvina said.

Police allege that six people, including four juveniles, were involved in the Aug. 4 murders of Terrance Aeriel, 18; Dashon Harvey, 20; and Iofemi Hightower, 20, according to news reports. A fourth victim, 19-year-old Natasha Aeriel, survived after being shot in the head.

Three of the six are in custody, including Carranza, who turned himself into police.

Police have said they believe that robbery was the motive for the killings.

On the Web:

Newt Gingrich: www.newt.org

Newark Police Department: www.newarkpd.org