GOP game raises eyebrows By: Zhi Xiong - The Daily Iowan
The UI College Republicans - part of the College Republican National Committee - will host a Capture the Flag game Thursday at City Park.The title of this game: "Catch an Illegal Immigrant."The match is part of the UI College Republicans' second Conservative Coming Out Week, which kicked off on Sunday with "Condi Rice Day."But the contest focusing on illegal immigration is arguably one of the more controversial elements of the week designed to promote and stoke awareness of conservative politics - a minority viewpoint on the solidly liberal UI campus.Greg Baker, the president of the College Republicans, said the Catch an Illegal Immigrant game is a tribute to former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt."He was for stronger immigration policy," Baker said. "That's why we chose him for the historical president."
Two teams - the "illegal immigrants" and the "border patrol" - will try to cross the dividing line representing the United States-Mexico border. If a team member is tagged, he or she goes to "jail.""It is controversial, but this emphasizes illegal immigration," Baker said. "We want a stronger conservative approach to it: sound protection of borders."Thursday's game is among a series of similar events on college campuses nationwide. "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" put the University of Michigan in the national spotlight in September 2006 when the student group Young Americans for Freedom offered a cash award for finding someone posing as an illegal immigrant.Following protests from minority groups at Michigan, Morgan Wilkins, a contractor for the College Republican National Committee, was fired by the organization.
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