As Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada neared its end, protesters interrupted former Vice President Joe Biden during his closing remarks.
As Biden began to deliver his closing statement, hecklers began yelling, “You deported three million people,” and, “We don’t want you here.”
The protesters were likely referring to former President Barack Obama’s immigration policies, under which three million illegal immigrants were deported.
A video taken from the audience shows the incident from a different perspective, in which some chanted, “Joe! Joe! Joe!” in response. The protesters were escorted out, after which Biden was able to finish his remarks.
Protesters interrupt the #DemDebate (via @NBCNews)
pic.twitter.com/uOyLKO2tXr— TalkRadio 77 WABC (@77WABCradio) February 20, 2020
An immigrant rights organization called Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, also referred to as RAICES, claimed responsibility for the protest. “BREAKING: We are interrupting @JoeBiden at the #DemDebate chanting #DontLookAway and #NoKidsInCages. We need a Democratic candidate to adopt the #MigrantJusticePlatform and commit themselves to improve the lives of migrants and refugees!” the group tweeted.
BREAKING: We are interrupting @JoeBiden at the #DemDebate chanting #DontLookAway and #NoKidsInCages. We need a Democratic candidate to adopt the #MigrantJusticePlatform and commit themselves to improve the lives of migrants and refugees! https://t.co/AfnRR2QxcS
— RAICES Action (@RAICESACTION) February 20, 2020
Earlier this month, Biden said the number of deportations of illegal immigrants during the Obama administration was “a mistake.”
“The point is there was too many,” he said in an interview with Univision anchor Jorge Ramos. “I saw the pain in the eyes of so many people who saw their families being deported. I know what it’s like to lose family members. It was painful. … It wasn’t until 2012 that we began to get it right with the [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] program and trying very much in 2014 to expand that and moving in the right direction.”
