JEFFERSON CITY - On the same day that more than 100 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested in the southwest Missouri town of Butterfield, Democrat Kay Barnes told residents of the 6 th Congressional District that she supports granting citizenship to illegal immigrants.

"I favor the opportunity for people, if they have been here for a period of time, if they have demonstrated a work ethic and so on, to be able to stay and go through eventually a citizenship process," the St. Joseph News-Press quoted Barnes yesterday as she spoke to a tiny gathering at the Buchanan County Democrat Women’s Club.

Congressman Sam Graves, in a statement that clearly represents the majority of his constituents, told the News-Press: "I will not support any form of amnesty. There is a legal process to enter this country and (it) shouldn’t reward those who haven’t followed it.”

“It is shocking that on the same day that a major immigration raid is conducted in Missouri, Kay Barnes would stand up and say that she supports rewarding illegal immigrants by granting them American citizenship,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “This is just another example of Kay Barnes having very little in common with the vast majority of hard-working residents in the 6 th Congressional District who oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants.”

The News-Press article is available at: http://www.stjoenews-press.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=93084&SectionID=81&SubSectionID=&S=1