Hillary Clinton has “real concerns” about reports that the Obama administration plans a series of deportation raids in January, according to a spokeswoman for the Democratic presidential candidate.
On Wednesday night, the Washington Post reported that, the Department of Homeland Security is planning a series of raids targeted at hundreds of people previously ordered removed from the U.S. who have managed to escape deportation.
“Hillary Clinton has real concerns about these reports, especially as families are coming together during this holiday season,” Hillary for America spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement emailed to the Washington Examiner. “She believes it is critical that everyone has a full and fair hearing, and that our country provides refuge to those that need it. And we should be guided by a spirit of humanity and generosity as we approach these issues.”
Clinton joins other Democratic candidates in condemning the move.
Earlier on Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders said he was “very disturbed” by the reports and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley called them “mindless deportations.”
The candidates were under heavy pressure to distance themselves from the administration.
Earlier today, Frank Sharry of America’s Voice, a leading immigration activist, told liberal Washington Post blogger Greg Sargent that, “This will be a political nightmare for the Democrats. The specter of raids picking up families and sending them back to violent countries is going to put Hillary Clinton in a difficult position. She’ll have to choose between protecting refugees from Central America, a demand of the Latino community, or standing with the law-and-order position of Obama and Republicans.”
Should Clinton win the nomination, her general election hopes hinge on her ability to maintain the level of Hispanic support that helped President Obama win two terms in the White House.
