Arkansas Democrat Hallie Shoffner Draws Backlash Over 5-to-1 Illegal Worker Remark
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 22
Arkansas Democrat Hallie Shoffner Draws Backlash Over 5-to-1 Illegal Worker Remark
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 22
Summary
Hallie Shoffner, a Democratic Senate candidate in Arkansas, came under fire after saying a farmer told her employers would trade “five Americans” for one undocumented worker because of how hard they work.
The remark came during a Sept. 9 podcast discussion on farm labor, where Shoffner said many farmers employ undocumented immigrants and argued they need a legal pathway to work in the United States.
Tom Cotton’s campaign said Shoffner appeared to admit hiring illegal workers and accused her of valuing undocumented immigrants over American citizens, sharpening a likely election attack line.
Shoffner’s campaign said the clip was taken out of context and framed her comments as recounting another farmer’s view while criticizing Cotton for avoiding a broader immigration debate.
The dispute lands as immigration remains a central midterm issue and after Shoffner recently shifted from saying in June she would defund ICE to saying this month she wants to reform it.