Susana Martinez claims to be tough on illegal immigration, but the truth is the Martinez-Sanchez ticket has made the problem worse.  Illegal immigrants come to New Mexico because they can cross the border and get jobs. Martinez’s running mate John Sanchez was caught twice hiring illegal workers.  In late 2002, it was revealed that John Sanchez, employed 10 illegal workers at his roofing business. A 1997 INS inspection found 7 workers, and a subsequent inspection a year later found three more. Martinez cannot effectively fight illegal immigration because she will always side with the corporations and employers who hire them, instead of New Mexicans from whom illegal immigrants take jobs.

In The Late 90’s John Sanchez’s Right-Way Roofing Was Investigated For Employing 10 Illegal Workers.  According to the Albuquerque Journal, “John Sanchez and his campaign have handed out copies of a letter from an INS special agent praising Right Way Roofing as never having had a problem with the agency.” However, later “Sanchez’s campaign…disclosed that the INS found a total of 10 illegal workers on Right Way’s payroll in the late-1990s seven during one visit and three during another.” [Albuquerque Journal, 8/26/02]

·       John Sanchez Was Asked If His Company Ever Hired Illegal Immigrants, He Challenged Accusers To “Put Up Or Shut Up.” According to the Associated Press, “During the primary election, Sanchez was asked on a radio forum whether his company had ever hired illegal immigrants, and at the time challenged accusers to ‘put up or shut up.’ He earlier read parts of a glowing letter from an INS agent who said the agency had never had complaints or done audits of his company.” [Associated Press, 8/1/02]

·       John Sanchez Called Accusations That He Hired Illegal Workers “Vicious Rumors.” According to the Albuquerque Tribune, “Republican gubernatorial candidate John Sanchez was campaigning on a radio talk show when a caller asked if he had ever hired illegal immigrants at his Albuquerque roofing company. Sanchez challenged his accusers to ‘put up or shut up.’ He earlier read parts of a glowing letter from a local U.S. Immigration and Naturalization agent who said there had never been any complaints or audits of his company. ‘It’s vicious rumors that are out there,’ Sanchez said during the candidate forum on KKOB-AM (770) shortly before the June 4 primary election that he won. ‘It’s unfortunate,’ he said on the show. ‘Just because you are a contractor, people assume that you have to hire illegal’s.’” [Albuquerque Tribune, 8/1/02]

In 1997, INS Found Right-Way Employed 7 Illegal Workers.  According to the Albuquerque Tribune, “In the 1997 inspection, an INS agent ordered Right-Way to terminate seven immigrants who were working with false documents. INS officials warned Right-Way not to rehire the workers or it could face sanctions. Minor problems were also found with Right-Way’s employment records, the agency said, but it worked with company officials to correct the documents. The agency’s Albuquerque agent-in-charge at the time of the inspection, Douglas C. Brown, closed the case without imposing any sanctions on Right-Way.” [Albuquerque Tribune, 8/1/02]

In 1998, INS Found Right-Way Employed 3 Illegal Workers. According to the Albuquerque Tribune, “The June 1998 inspection was prompted by a complaint of illegal workers, according to INS records. An INS agent later determined that three employees used fraudulent documents to work at Right-Way. The INS ordered Right-Way to terminate all three employees. The INS also closed that case without sanctioning Right-Way, although Brown, the agent-in-charge, warned: ‘As a result of this action this service will be closely monitoring your employment practices and may follow-up with I-9 inspections in the near future.’” [Albuquerque Tribune, 8/1/02]