A6 T H E BULLETIN • SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014
As Senate race asks who's most Alaskan, outside money talks By Jeremy W. Peters
Media, a monitoring and re-
New Yorh Times News Service
search firm. That is more than
A big part of being an Alaskan is harboring a suspicion of all things Lower 48. It's an inclination that runs so deep
in North Carolina (18,000), Arkansas (13,000) and Louisiana (12,000), all of which are conservative states where Republicans believe they can pick
that Alaskans have a proper
off Democratic incumbents.
noun to describe everywhere else — Outside.
An Alaskanimage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -
So, naturally, there is quite
a bit of alarm here over the state's newest political distinction. Alaska has unwillingly become a giant receptacle for money from super PACs
Begich tried to convey his Alaskan ruggedness in an ad by riding a snowmobile above
Immigration
administration.
ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said there has been no change in immigration policy
Continued from A1 Over the Memorial Day
swi'
weekend, federal officials flew at least 400 migrants apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to Tucson to be processed, said Andy Adame, a spokesman
t
I \
ities said, conditions such as wearingankle bracelets may be imposed, but usually only
dropped off at bus stations w ithordersto appearbefore
after the interviews with immi-
gration officials 15 days after
immigration authorities at
their chosen destination within 15 days. "The Border Patrol does not have enough
initial detention. Maria Eva Casco, right, and her son, Christian Casco, both of El Salvador, sit at a Greyhound bus terminal last month in Phoenix. Many arriving immigrant families are sent to Arizona for process-
space in its processing facilities to handle a surge in illegal immigrants in south ing, and then released. Texas," Adame said.
In no other state have so
leezza Rice who until last year
authorities have r ecently
and was Gov. Sarah Palin's
attorney general, accused Begich of hypocrisy for condemning outside PACs while benefiting from them himself.
time through Election Day. More than $20 million worth
of commercialshave been reserved so far — the bulk
"It's almost like he's laun-
opened shelters on military bases in Texas and California for the wave of children
crossing the U.S. border in ever-greater volumes in recent months. Detention
centers are available for adult immigrants. But there
of the money coming from dering Harry Reid's money Washington-based outfits like into Alaska," Sullivan told Karl Rove's American Cross- a group of hunters gathered
are no similar facilities for families, at least in the
roads, which wants to elect a
at a D enny's in
Republican,and the Demo-
one recent afternoon. Sul-
In 2008, immigration officials stopped placing
cratic Senatorial Campaign
livan stressed his A l askan
F airbanks
Committee, which is defend- roots, telling the group how ing Sen. Mark Begich, one of he and his wife, who is part the most targeted first-term
of a prominent Alaska Native
Democrats. family, were married nearby. Five months before the No- "I'm not an Alaskan. She's not v ember election, that s u m an Alaskan. Really?" would be extraordinary in Referring to the billionaire any state. It is all the more Republican donors Charles staggering considering it will and David K o ch, S u llivan be spent to reach only about continued: "They're saying I'm getting money from the 490,000 registered voters. Koch brothers. The only guy Once quiet, but no longer in this election who's gotten When super PAC money money from the Koch brothoverwhelmed many other ers is Mark Begich." (A poareas of the country, Alaska
l itical committee for
K o ch
managed to remain relatively untouched. Its three electoral votes are predictably Republican in presidential elections. Its sole House seat has been
Industries donated $5,000 to a Begich-affiliated PAC in 2010.) In an interview, Begich hit back: "Just because people in the same hands since 1973. give me money,Dan, doesn't And its last Senate election mean they control me." was in 2010, before super Because Sullivan was born PACs became supersized. in Ohio and lived in Maryland But today Alaska is home to while working for the State one of the handful of closely Department, critics have accontested races that will de- cused him of having superfitermine whether Republicans cial ties to Alaska. Some have or Democrats control the Sen- even snickered that the Carate next year, and outside re- hartt jacket he wears in an ad sources are tumbling in. The looks too new and therefore Republican National Commit- phony. tee has opened threeoffices,
Asked i n
an
Southwest. parents traveling with their children at the T. Don Hutto
Residential Center in Taylor, Texas, after allegations sur-
faced of human rights violations at the facility. The fact that so many
parents with children have been freed to travel within the U.S. has sent rumors
flying t hrough Central American nations that parents will not be detained in the U.S. if they arrive with a
election as she ran a write-in our seat," said Mead Tread- candidacy. To try to prove the well, the lieutenant governor depth of his Alaskan roots, he and one of three Republicans declared at a recent debate, in the Aug. 19 primary that "I hate W ashington, D.C.," will decide who runs against and vowed not to "buy some Begich. little house and get comfy" if Candidates are trying to elected. dissociate themselves from Many Republicans said these outsideforces even as they were concerned that Millthey benefit from them. And er could run as a third-party they are rushing to condemn candidate in November if he their opponents as pawns of lost the Republican primary, Washington interests. which would split the conser"He's not one of us," says a new ad that attacks Dan Sul-
livan, the Republican candidate who has attracted the
vative vote and almost cer-
tainly lead to the re-election of Begich. Alaska, with its small and
most support from groups far-flung population, is diflike American Crossroads ficult to poll, making races and the U .S. Chamber of unpredictable. Complicating Commerce. matters for pollsters, the mayThe Democratic group fi- or of Anchorage is also named nancing this and other ads Dan Sullivan and is running against Sullivan, Senate Ma- for lieutenant governor. jority PAC, is trying to do so D emocrats h a v e b ee n with no East Coast finger- working hard to give Begich prints. Instead of working an edge. There will be two under its own name, Senate m easures on th e b a llot i n Majority PAC has provided al- November that could bolster most all of the funding for Put Democratic turnout — one Alaska First, giving the group to raise the state's minimum nearly$700,000 oftheroughly wage and the other to legal$800,000ithad raised through ize marijuana for recreational March 31. Political ads are ubiquitous
use.
here already. They have run
the top of their most-endan-
on Alaska airwaves nearly 20,000 times since early last
gered list, Democrats recently moved Begich down into safer
year, according to Kantar
territory.
After once putting him at
fleeing violence in Central America. However, some par-
ents could seek different forms of immigration relief, such as attorneyin Austin, Texas. ing down federal helicopters applying for asylum, said GregImmigration auth o rities — because of the welcoming ory Chen, director of advocacy saidthe numbers appear to be treatment they had assumed for the American Immigration substantial, but they do not yet they would receive. Lawyers Association. have an official count. Assuming that she would be Chen said the practice of But Arizona officials have allowed to remain in the U.S., freeing detainees pending protestedthe transfers from Ramos was instead given pa- i mmigration i n t erviews i s Texas. Gov. Jan Brewer, in a let- perwork ordering her to report more cost-effective than deter to President Barack Obama, June 17 to the ICE field office taining children and mothers said the federal government in Des Moines, near where her in jail-like settings, and more is shirking its responsibility to parents live, and allowed to humane. "Do we really want to see properly care for the families. board a bus to Iowa. "It was disappointing," she America go in the direction of Dropping them off in Arizona, where daytime temperatures said. "I thought I would defi- detaining families of mothers are exceeding 100 degrees, ap- nitely be allowed to stay. I just with children? That is not conpears to "place expediency over want a good future for myson." sistent with America's values," basic humanitarian concerns," Still, she said she plans to Chen said. For now, a network of volunthe governor wrote. keep the appointment because "State and l o cal g overn- she wants to give her case a teers has emerged to help famiments, law enforcement agen- chance. lies being dropped off by immicies, health care providers and I CE officials s ai d t h e y gration officials at bus stations nonprofit organizations are all couldn't guarantee that they in Arizona. On'Iltesday, Laurie stretched to the breaking point would pursue all cases in which Melrood, an immigrant rights attempting to manage the enor- immigrants do not show up for advocate, spent most of her mity of these challenges," she follow-up appointments, but evening at the Tucson station, sald. w ouldexamine each casetode- attending to seven Guatemalan ICE officials say that the im-
lies stranded atbus stations.
to Arizona, then bused this
"Desperate
said — at one point even wav-
mothers and their children.
termine priorities.
on their ow n
r ecognizance, united with family members," Melrood said. "What the wom-
m i g rants week to Phoenix to join an in- with an order to reappear at from Central America may formal encampment of migrant a later date. Many failed to ding to any slim reed of families that has sprung up at show up for their hearings. hope. This false rumor of a the bus terminal. The practice ended in 2006 'new opportunity' is leadRamos said she was with during the George W. Bush
en do not know is that they are in immigration proceedings once caught by Border Patrol and are facing deportation."
QUT 20 2I 22 13 5 &
Koch Industries closed an oil
to lose to her in the general
There is no protective status for parents with their children
children — some as young as a few months old — when apprehended. They had looked forward to being caught, she
i nt e r view
refinery near Fairbanks this fought over questions of year. Walk through a parkwhich candidate is the most ing lot, and it is possible to see grizzled and authentic Alas- stickers saying, "Koch Brothkan — I s t h a t c a ndidate's ers Go Home." Carhartt hunting jacket too The race's biggest wild card creased and unused-looking? is Joe Miller, the tea party fa— such a heavy presence of vorite who rose to national outside groups is creating an prominence in 2010 when he uncomfortable an d d i s cor- beat Sen. Lisa Murkowski in dant dynamic. the Republican primary only "It's not Karl Rove's seat. It's not Harry Reid's seat. It's
about 20 other families with
Anti-illegal i m m igration Melrood said o rganized migrants are released as long child — spurring even more as they can provide an address activists have said the govern- smuggling organizations are ment's posture is reminiscent exploiting these parents' vague families to launch the jour- for their destination — with ney, according to immigrant family or friends, no matter of the 1990s "catch and release" hope that there is a future for them in the United States. advocates and Guatemalan their legal status. policy. That's when most people The smugglers tell immiconsular officials in PhoeRamos, who was apprehendnix who have been working ed in Texas after travelingthere who crossed the border ille- grants that they "will spend a to help find shelter for fami- by bus and by foot, was flown gally were released on bail or few days in ajail and thenbe re-
its earliest presence here ever. whether he wanted the supIts young workers, many of port of Koch-backed groups whom had never set foot in like Americans for Prosperity the state before this year, are and American Energy Alligrowing beards and learning ance, which have been runto roll with ribbing — You're a ning ads against Begich, Sulliflatlander, aren't you? — from van paused for 25 seconds and locals who ar e no t f o oled. then said he hoped to bring Democrats in Washington are all voters together. "I want to funding a local super PAC, but unite Alaskans," he said. you would not know it from The Koch name is a loaded the group's inconspicuous one in some parts of Alaska. name, Put Alaska First. In a r ace that has been
the families may be subject to
immediate removal.
The unusual s ituation represents not a change in
Sullivan, an assistant secretary of state under Condo-
spent to book commercial
In some instances, the families seeking to stay will be given an opportunity to make their case before an immigration judge. In other instances,
Rick Scuteri/The Associated Press
fighting over control of the U.S. Senate.
else has more money been
•
said. In some cases, author-
zero.
many ads about a Senate served as Alaska's commisrace run so far; in no place sioner of natural resources
stance are being placed under some sortof supervision,"she
for the Border Patrol in Arizona. From there, many were
and other out-of-state groups
the screen noted the temperature was 20 degrees below
catch and release. "The individuals in this in-
ing some to embark on a danpolicy but an attempt to ac- gerous journey. They have no commodate the unexpect- idea what they are facing. The ed numbers, Immigration smugglers are milking this sitand Customs Enforcement uation for all it's worth," said officials said. Immigration Dan Kowalski, an immigration
the Arctic Circle. The text on
and that it's misleading to compare the current situation to
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