" sanctuary cities would lose discretionary federal grants, as would colleges and universities that allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition."

KEZI--

Republican candidate Fred Thompson said Tuesday that the government should yank federal dollars from cities and states that don't report illegal immigrants and challenged presidential rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney by criticizing "Sanctuary City's" that bar city workers from reporting suspected illegal immigrants.

Thompson feels that money should not be provided to illegal immigrants and that his rivals are soft on illegal immigration because Giuliani, as New York mayor, sued the federal government to keep his city's sanctuary policy, and that Romney as Massachusetts Governor had also tolerated sanctuary cities.

" The immigration issue is important to many conservatives who influence Republican primaries. Some argue that illegal immigrants are straining schools and hospitals and taking jobs from U.S. citizens.

Thompson chose to announce his plan in Collier County, which has vast tomato farms that hire thousands of immigrants and last year was part of a two-county sweep that saw 163 illegal immigrants arrested in one weekend.

Thompson's campaign said 22 percent of the county's crime is committed by illegal immigrants. "

"Taxpayer money should not be provided to the illegal immigrants," Thompson commented in a roundtable discussion.

" Thompson said to Collier County, Fla., sheriff Don Hunter, "You've clearly been swamped with a particular kind of problem because the federal government, in large part, has let you down and has not done their part. "

Under Thompson's plan, sanctuary cities would lose discretionary federal grants, as would colleges and universities that allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition and has called for stronger laws forcing employers to verify that workers aren't illegal immigrants.