Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., an outspoken advocate for amnesty, said Monday night that Donald Trump’s plan to deport 11 million illegal aliens is a “sick, hateful fantasy.”
Gutierrez used his remarks at the Democratic National Convention to cite the discrimination he grew up with as the grandson of two Puerto Rican immigrants, and said that’s the reason for speaking out against the Republican nominee now.
“They were greeted with scorn and discrimination. Politicians called them criminals. They said they were dangerous, diseased, and would ruin the country,” said Gutierrez, who represents a district in Chicago’s suburbs. “Nobody spoke up against the bigotry and hatred my parents endured, so you better believe I’m using my voice against discrimination.”
The immigration stalwart came down hard on Trump’s campaign promise to round up any one in the U.S. illegally and send them to their home country, where they would have to reapply for legal entry.
“No matter what others say, it is simply a fantasy to say that we’re going to round up and deport 11 million people,” Gutierrez said. “It’s a sick, hateful fantasy.”
Gutierrez told the Philadelphia audience his only hope comes from presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He said his dream for America, like Clinton’s, would involve bringing immigrants out of the shadows and passing comprehensive immigration reform.
