Candidates for the Republican 1st Congressional District squared off in the Putnam Center at New England College as part of the Live Free or Die Primary Debate series.
Russell Prescott, Joe Kelly Levasseur, Chris Bright, Hollie Noveletsky, and Walter Mcfarlane fielded questions on immigration, gun control, and border protection.
Jeff Chidester, host of WFEA Morning Update, asked the candidates about policies they’d support to address immigration.
Noveletsky said a wall needs to be built along both the northern and southern border, and that the process of becoming an American citizen needs to be an easier process.
“We need to build the wall, but on the other hand, we need to open up legal immigration,” Noveletsky said. “”We should make it more easy for people to come here who want to be screened, and to be part of our community.”
Bright explained that he would eliminate jus soli, which grants citizenship to a child if they are born on U.S soil, even if the parents are not U.S citizens. He also emphasized that the U.S border patrol is extremely understaffed.
“The Customs and Border Control (sic), by their own account, is 2,800 people understaffed,” Bright said. “If you’re here illegally and have a child born on American soil, that child is also illegal.”
Mcfarlane emphasized that the U.S needs to make it known that the border is not open, and that the U.S needs to make the process of becoming a citizen easier.
“The first thing we have to do is send a signal that we are closed,” Mcfarlane said. “We need to make sure our legal system matches the needs of our economy. What types of workers do we need at any one given time?”
Levasseur wants to deport all people who are living in the U.S without legal permission, but he knows that the U.S can’t track them down. He wants to go after the criminals, to send a message that criminal activity will not be tolerated in the U.S.
“We start with people who came into this country with criminal background and the MS-13 gang members,” Levasseur said. “Then we must deport people who come from another country illegally, where they’ve broken the law when they walked in.”
Prescott believes that this upcoming election is the most important, because in his eyes, Donald Trump is the only one who can close the border.
“This is the most important election in our lifetime, and I believe it so wholeheartedly,” Prescott said. “If we do not reelect Donald Trump, more of the same is going to occur by de facto. Prescott said they President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will “keep the borders open by executive order and not obey the constitution.”
Soob Soobitsky, a reporter for The NewEnglander, asked about stricter gun laws and referenced the latest school shooting in Georgia.
All the candidates stated that they stand by the 2nd Amendment.
Levasseur said America is doing a terrible job with mass shootings and the courts need to step up when people have warning signs before they can purchase guns.
“If there’s a situation where somebody has apparent mental illnesses, we should be able to go to court and take a look at that and let a judge look at those types of issues and make a decision whether or not they are capable of having a handgun or weapon,” Lavasseur said.
Noveletsky said mental health institutions need to be more accessible.
“I really believe this is a mental health issue,” Noveletsky said. “We need to sure up our mental health providers.”
Bright believes that taking away guns will not solve anything and said mental health is directly related to mass shootings.
“Mental health is at the core of what’s going on with these types of issues,” Bright said. “We need to be treating and looking for these individuals and then helping them get the help they need.”
Mcfarlane said the U.S needs to do a better job tracking red flags on certain people trying to buy weapons. He also said the U.S is in a mental health crisis.
“There are often red flags in these situations, thing that we noticed, things that weren’t handled properly,” Mcfarlane said. “The amount of mental health issues we’re having from eight-year-olds to 14-year-olds in this country is very disturbing, and we have to do something about it.”
Prescott called on everyone to be more aware of acquaintances and family members. He said the U.S needs to step up and help the mentally ill.
“We have to be aware of our family and our friends and how they’re behaving,” Prescott said. “That’s a core responsibility of community, that’s why we always need less control from the federal government and more control locally so we can direct help where it’s needed.”
The final event of the series will feature three Democratic candidates for Governor. The debate will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday in the Putnam Theater.
