Joe Biden’s presidential campaign is doing damage control following a comment at the last Democratic debate that illegal immigrants should “get in line.”
Biden is taking heat from Latino activists who accuse the former vice president of using “Republican talking points” on immigration, according to Politico.
“It is unacceptable for a candidate vying to be the Democratic nominee for POTUS to use language like that used by VP Biden when talking about immigration during the second debate,” said Mayra Macías, executive director of Latino Victory. “We immediately reached out to the campaign and were told it was being addressed.”
Macías said her “phone started blowing up” with messages and calls from activists when Biden made the comments during the Detroit debate.
During last month’s debate, Biden clashed with rival Julián Castro, who called for decriminalizing border crossings. That’s when Biden said illegal immigrants need to wait their turn.
“When people cross the border illegally, it is illegal to do it unless they’re seeking asylum. People should have to get in line. That’s the problem. And the only reason this particular part of the law is being abused is because of Donald Trump. We should defeat Donald Trump and end this practice.”
The “get in line” remark is one of a series of verbal blunders Biden has made during the campaign.
Hilda Solis, a top Biden surrogate and former Department of Labor secretary, said Biden needs to “rephrase” his stance and “pivot.”
“Many just don’t understand why he was onstage spewing Republican talking points,” said Jose Parra, who advised former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Latino issues.
Cristóbal Alex, a senior adviser to Biden, received more than 100 calls and messages about the comments. He briefed Biden on the nuances of his comments and pushed for a sit-down with Latino leaders in San Diego.
“I wouldn’t say we’re putting out fires or dealing with fallout. We are taking in a lot of comments and suggestions from the community,” Alex said.
“It’s hard to convey his true grasp of this issue and it’s hard to convey how much he cares about immigrants in the community in a 15-second retort to someone attacking him,” he said.
Biden had a private meeting with Latino leaders in San Diego ahead of his speech at the UnidosUS conference last week.
Biden’s campaign said the 2020 front-runner supports immigration reform that would provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants without criminal records who are employed. He also backs making “Dreamers,” children who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, citizens.
