Republican candidate for Tennessee governor Rep. Diane Black is comparing the federal government’s “catch and release” immigration policies to how fishermen treat fish they do not intend to keep.
“Catch and release. Out here on Old Hickory Lake that means fishing for fun, but catch and release means something different for law enforcement. Catch and release is how Washington handles illegal immigration. They catch lawbreakers, and then they let them go,” Black said in a campaign ad released Friday.
The video narrator stated 74 percent of those arrested on immigration-related charges in fiscal year 2017 had criminal convictions.
Black vowed to “get serious about illegal immigration” if elected governor.
Black is the lead GOP candidate in the race to replace a term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam in a state that is “likely Republican,” according to the Cook Political Report.
The Democratic and Republican primaries are scheduled for Aug. 2.
A Vanderbilt University poll released this week concluded Black had the highest name recognition of any candidate in the gubernatorial race.
Democratic candidates include Mark Clayton, the 2012 Senate nominee; former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean; and Tennessee House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh.
