Rep. Diane Black, who is running for governor of Tennessee, compared the government's policies toward illegal immigration to people who catch fish, then throw them back.
"Catch and release. Out here on Old Hickory Lake, that means fishing for fun, but catch and release means something different for law enforcement," the Republican lawmaker said in a campaign video released Fiday.
"Catch and release is how Washington handles illegal immigration. They catch lawbreakers, and then they let them go.
"It's time we get serious about illegal immigration. And as governor, I will," Black said in the video.
Randy Boyd, another Republican running for the office in the primary, said that if Black becomes the GOP nominee, the party will be "at real risk to lose" in the midterm elections.