Congressional Hopeful Mistakes YMCA Campers for Migrants
Published at(WASHINGTON) — An Arizona Congressional candidate told a rally protesting immigration policies about the fear he saw on the faces of Central American migrant children in custody — and tweeted out a photo of kids on a bus headed for a YMCA camp.
Adam Kwasman, a Republican state legislator running to represent Arizona’s 1st Congressional district, tweeted a photo of a yellow school bus while attending a protest outside of Tucson, with the caption, “Bus coming in. This is not compassion. This is the abrogation of the rule of law.”
“I was able to actually see some of the children in the buses, and the fear on their faces…This is not compassion,” Kwasman told the Arizona Republic.
Turns out the children were not migrants, but campers headed to the YMCA’s Triangle Y Ranch Camp, which offers horseback riding, archery and rock climbing, among other activities.
The buses of immigrant children never showed up, according to the Arizona Republic.
When informed of the mix-up by a reporter, Kwasman said the campers “were sad too” before apologizing.
“OK, I apologize, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I was leaving when I saw the school bus,” Kwasman said.
He later deleted his tweet and apologized on social media.
Last tweet not the bus of illegal immigrant children. Thank God.
— Adam Kwasman (@AdamKwasman) July 15, 2014
I apologize for the confusion. That was my error
— Adam Kwasman (@AdamKwasman) July 15, 2014
Kwasman, a tea party candidate, will face former Arizona House Majority Leader Andy Tobin and businessman Gary Kiehne in the July 28 Republican primary for Arizona’s first congressional district. The winner will challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.
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