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The reason illegal aliens enter the U.S. is to gain employment and send money back home, the agent said, noting more than half the income of the poorest Guatemalans augment their income by money wired from the U.S. to their country."
Cutler called illegal "illegal. When you are involved with illegal activity, more illegal activity is bred."
Cutler said at the news conference he was not against lawful immigrants.
"America has been strengthened by legal immigration. Not many families can go back more than a generation or two than pointing to immigrants within their own families. We are enriched by our diversity," he said.
But Cutler was critical of those who support issuing ID cards to undocumented men and women.
"Undocumented means that they have no way of proving their true identities. If we provide these individuals with official documents that allow them to get licenses and Social Security cards, while opening bank accounts, we enable the bad guys to change their identity and hide in plain sight," he said.
"Remember the 19 terrorists who attacked America on 9-11 used 364 false aliases to get themselves into our country. This is a common tactic used not only by terrorists but by criminals as well," he said.
Cutler said the program recommended for Brewster would harm America's national security.
"ID cards for illegal aliens create a security nightmare. It is critical that we know with whom we are dealing," he said.
Rosa-Maria Merida, consul-general for Guatemala, said identification cards had been issued in 70 communities throughout the Northeast with little problem.
When asked why the Guatemalan government supported the issuance of ID cards, Cutler said, "For them, it is an economic issue. The biggest source of income for Mexico is the money sent back to Mexico by illegal aliens working in the U.S. illegally."
Mayor John Degnan cancelled the consul-general's visit last week due to what he said was the bitter political campaign he is currently involved in.
"A photo ID issued by the country of origin - not at taxpayer expense - would go a long way in helping us enforce violations from indecent behavior to trespass and even public disturbance," Degnan said.
"However, given the tactics of this campaign, I was concerned about how some in our community may have treated a senior diplomat of a foreign country. A spate of race related crimes in greater Brewster have been attributed directly to the inflammatory political rhetoric of one group of candidates. I ask these men to stop the lies and recognize that there words have led to criminal activity," said Degnan.
Michael Rights, who is seeking office along with Matt Neuringer, Dwight Yee and Michael Mangieri on the SOS ticket, alleged that the U.S. Department of Justice had condemned the practice of issuing such identification documents.
"The agency has stated that public acts by public officials who arrange identification documents issued by foreign governments on U.S. soil create the risk of material support to criminals, gangs and even possibly terrorists," said Rights.
Victor Padilla, the Hispanic liaison to the Village of Brewster, attended the news conference.
"This is more political rhetoric. These guys are running for political jobs. The federal government has to step in and help out," Padilla said.
"Dishwashers, doormen and guys who cut your lawn are not bad guys. They are hard workers who want a chance to earn a day's pay by living in peace," he said.
"Sure, there are bad people among the Hispanic community as there are criminals living among us who have resided in Putnam County for many years," he said, pointing out, "We can't paint all Hispanics with the same brush. These are scare tactics being perpetuated by people against Hispanics," he said.
