A candidates night Tuesday sponsored by the Adams County Farm Bureau gave 10 office-seekers a chance to talk about agriculture, and several took the opportunity to weigh in on immigration.

Republican Jim Taylor, a candidate for state Senate in the 33rd District, said he worked for the Border Patrol in Arizona and saw illegal immigration as an "organized invasion."

"The average person is getting 'whacked,'" Taylor said.

One of his Republican opponents, Cathy Cresswell, cautioned that illegal immigration is a federal as well as state issue and efforts to limit the number of immigrants can end up doing more harm than good.

Skip Strayer, representing Republican Rich Alloway, said farmers are caught in the middle.

The people show up, want to work, and have "documents" proving their legality, he said.

"I've heard the, 'The farmers want cheap labor,' line before," he added. But, he said, the average farmer is employing immigrants for $16 an hour.

Bob Curley, who had entered the race as a Republican but recently changed his party affiliation to Democrat, said that after World War II, the need for workers and temporary labor went up, causing immigration to increase. But, he said, it's not OK to illegally immigrate, even for a short period.

"As a society, we should not be made to carry the burden of another country," he said.

In all, more than 60 people turned out at the Gettysburg American Legion Post 202 to hear the candidates. Also weighing in on immigration were Democrat Neil Clifford and Republicans Will Tallman and Mike Rishel, all running for a seat in the 193rd District in the House of Representatives.

Clifford said that after World War II, his mother emigrated legally from England.

"If she could do it, anyone can do it," he said.

"If you are an illegal, go home," Tallman said.

But Rishel said efforts to combat illegal immigration can backfire. He pointed out that Hazleton lost a costly court battle with the American Civil Liberties Union over its anti-immigrant ordinance.

Also present at the forum were U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-Spring Garden; Phil Avillo, a Democratic candidate for the seat Platts holds; and Dan Moul, a Republican who represents the 91st District in the state House of Representatives. Neither Platts, Avillo nor Moul is opposed on the primary ballot.

John Hess, 66, of Gettysburg, said he was there to hear about immigration.

After hearing the candidate's views, he wasn't satisfied because the issue wasn't resolved but he said the ideas proposed were interesting.

"We need to work on a program that's feasible," Hess said.