Espaillat: ‘Unamerican’ to Deport Everybody in Mixed Status Households

CAPEHART: “Let’s talk broadly about Democrats. Democrats are in the minority, although barely since — since the Republican majority on any given day at this point is either one seat or no seats. In The Washington Post today, there was a story that had a quote from Congressman Robert Garcia of California saying, ‘We shouldn’t be working with Republicans. They’ve got the majority. They should pass stuff on their own.’ I’m paraphrasing the congressman. Now, on the other hand, you have Leader Jeffries saying, ‘You know what, he, meaning Trump, is flooding the zone with a lot of things, we need to pick and choose our battles. Again, I’m paraphrasing. Pick and choose our battles over how we go toe-to-toe with the administration.’ Where do you fall between those two?”
ESPAILLAT: “You know, I understand that they control all houses and the executive Branch, and some will argue that they control the courts, but, in fact, they are the majority. They should govern responsibly. But we play a role in this. I think there should be a balance. Government always provides a balance for the American people, and we cannot dig our heads in the sand and make believe that that’s not the case. We as Democrats will be able to deliver some victories to our constituencies, and we should not walk away from that.”
CAPEHART: “Let me have you put on your your hat as the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, how will the CHC fight against what President Trump is doing, not just on immigration, but on other — in other areas that are of great import to the Latino community?”
ESPAILLAT: “We will support anything that’s good for our community and that stands for the values that we hold dear to ourselves, but we will oppose vigorously anything that we see as over the top aggressive and doesn’t represent what the values are of our nation and our caucus.”
CAPEHART: “Can you name an area where you believe that the CHC and the Trump Administration could come to some agreement and work together?”
ESPAILLAT: “Well, I hope that they’re able to understand that we don’t we don’t necessarily choose not to have a conversation about a stronger border, but we also want to regularize DREAMers, help farm workers and keep families together.”
CAPEHART: “How is that going to be possible when the border czar has already said, ‘You want to keep families together? Well, then we’ll just deport everybody in sort of mixed-status households.’”
ESPAILLAT: “That will be UN-American, in my opinion.”
CAPEHART: “UN-American?”
ESPAILLAT: “That’s correct.”
CAPEHART: “And if/when it happens, what’s the Congressional Hispanic caucus going to do? What can you do?”
ESPAILLAT: “We will be in our communities. We will be in the corners, in the streets, in the barrios, in the neighborhoods of our districts, working with — with our community. On day one, when he was sworn in, I was with the Catholic charities and a group of migrants and service providers to ensure that they know their rights, the do’s and the don’ts. And we will be on the streets in our communities. We will be in the hallways of Congress. We will be in the courtroom.”
CAPEHART: “How outrageous is it that the administration has said that schools, places of worship and other places that were sanctuaries for people are — they are no longer off limits?”
ESPAILLAT: “Sensitive locations are as such. No one should raid a church, an emergency room, an elementary school or a funeral home.”