Four Democratic presidential candidates on Friday talked about a hot-button issue few of their 20 or so competitors have tackled with specific policy plans: immigration.
And they did so before a roomful of immigrants.
Senators Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee took turns answering questions in Pasadena before a crowd of some 500 immigrant-rights advocates from across the country.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris hugs 18-year-old Lupita Sanchez after she asks a question during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Presidential Freedom Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
- SoundThe gallery will resume inseconds
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris hugs moderator Angelica Salas, pres. Of CHIRLA Action Fund, during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris leaves an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019 with moderator Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate, former HUD Secretary Julin Castro arrives to an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019 with moderators Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action, and Angelica Salas, pres. of CHIRLA Action Fund. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate, former HUD Secretary Julin Castro speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate, former HUD Secretary Julin Castro speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate, former HUD Secretary Julin Castro speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate, former HUD Secretary Julin Castro leaves an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019 with moderators Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action, and Angelica Salas, pres. of CHIRLA Action Fund. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks with moderators Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action, and Angelica Salas, pres. of CHIRLA Action Fund during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks with moderators Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action, and Angelica Salas, pres. of CHIRLA Action Fund during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks with moderators Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action, and Angelica Salas, pres. of CHIRLA Action Fund during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks at an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Jay Inslee arrives to the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum with moderators Dorian Warren, pres. of Community Change Action, and Angelica Salas, pres. of CHIRLA Action Fund, in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during an immigration forum with immigrant-rights advocates at the Unity Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Show Caption of Expand
Asked what they would do during their first 100 days, all four committed to pushing for immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people who are in the country illegally. They said, as president, that they would use executive authority to restore immigration programs that the Trump administration has worked to dismantle, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which protects young people brought illegally to the country as children. And all agreed they end a Trump-administration travel ban against mostly Muslim-majority countries.
The candidates – in California to attend this weekends Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco – came onstage one at a time to answer prepared questions from audience members and moderators Dorian Warren and Angelica Salas.
Warren is president of Community Change Action, a Washington, D.C.-based organization working to build social movements, and Salas leads the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles Action Fund. Their groups, with the Washington, D.C.-based Fair Immigration Reform Movement Action, co-sponsored the event at the Hilton Pasadena, which was billed as “Immigrant Unity and Freedom Presidential Forum of 2019.”
Though it was closed to the public, an estimated 7.1 million viewers watched a live stream of the candidates via the Telemundo Spanish-language network.
“For the candidates to talk about immigration, with immigrants, that was the most important part,” Salas said.
“I think they got the message. They understand that this issue has an urgency in peoples lives.”
While all four candidates drew positive responses from the audience, Sanders appeared to be a favorite, with the crowd breaking into chants of “Bernie” during his time on stage.
Like the others, Sanders offered sharp criticism of the Trumps administration retooling of the nations immigration policies.
“We have a president who is a racist, who is a pathological liar, who thinks he can win reelection by dividing the American people,” Sanders told the crowd.
“The AmericanRead More – Source
[contf] [contfnew] 
daily news
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
