Freshman democrat from texas. Her district is eastern houston. We have mayor ron of san ntonio, and our coexecutive director of the center for new ar democracy based in york city. For those of you joining us via live stream you can also follow twitter rsation on tribunestats19. Some of the stuffer well be well discuss the impact on the aftermath of the in this ass shooting state. President trump rhetoric, his rhetoric, his use of border politics and racial identity in his reelection were also going to cover the immigration plans eing proposed by the democrats running for the white house, and whether or not ruby red texas actually turn blue in 2020. And near the end, were going to take a few questions from the audience. So please have those ready to go. I would like to start with el paso. As many of you know, a lone gunman killed 22 people that border in community and he posted a racist shooting. Prior to the it declared that the attack was in response to the hispanic of texas. President trump has also used acist language about immigrants, about lawmakers of color, and has frequently used invasion. When describing whats going on border. Outhern how has the targeting of latinos el paso impacted your community at all . Question that el paso has been ground zero for a of the cruel and inhumane policies of the administration border. Bviously, my sister, who is with me, was elected to two ess, being the first latinos, elected to congress from texas. Ere close friends, and i have seen her go through a lot this year. Border issues, the separation of the families, and it just seems that with this it just never stops. Single day. E every nd when you find out that this man drives six hours to go unting for mexicans, i mean, just think about that. Actually go would and target the community and is go out and seek it out, just the worst, most inhumane thing i have ever heard of. And parcel ofpart rhetoric e and the that this president comes with from the white house. I think you probably saw the New York Times analysis where his put together some of words and his rhetoric from the Campaign Together with what was manifesto. Mirror images. So i think this administration allowed that kind of hetoric, in some cases, encouraged it. When he says at a rally, if we out what should we do . Someone in the crowd says shoot them. Know, he just kept going. He didnt admonish them, didnt that, this ant do is america, when youve got Something Like that coming out of the white house, it just gets worse. So its a tragedy. El paso is strong. I know there are hearings. Couple hearing there a of weeks ago. We met with a lot of people there in el paso. Going through a lot. They are going through a lot just like so many other across this country that have been victimized by shooters. This one is different. Targeted, targeted immigrants and latinos. I cant say enough about it. This toxic political climate, targeting in el paso created heightened fear in your community . How is that manifesting there . Yes. And thank you again for having me on the panel. Here has been, there has been incredible amount of frustration on d about lack of action matters of immigration but certainly of how we deal with in our in general communities. I would say that its been in many ways to the conversation about ending Gun Community to the local here youre seeing governments now take action to urge their counterparts at the and federal level to go beyond what they have done in of gun emory on issues violence. But the conversation now about the direct line that you can between the rhetoric and the highest office of this premeditated murders that youve seen in el paso has been too hard for ignore any longer and its becoming part of the conversation about how we move a number reforms on of these issues. I would like to hear your as a nonelected on whether or not youre seeing atinos or other demographic groups react by taking political tragedies esponse to like el paso or other issues community . First, i went to start by surprised that were seeing violence thats hateful rhetoric coming out of the administration. The fact is that President Trump made from day one of his rhetoricantiimmigrant the centerpiece of his Political Program and hes done it not talking about building the wall but by telegraphing to people outside the country that invasion, and using that is extremely to get incite fear in people. Alking about an invasion is away of inciting fear, wfg the country,at are in this atlantis in this country and eople who are arriving at the borders as criminals, as nimals, as rapists, is both language that serves to and advance ople policies that are dehumanizing like the separation of families border, but also, its its that evokes evokes some of the kind of core sentiment that has justified racial violence in country against black people. So when trump says the people in caravan are mostly men, hes ous rapists what saying is they are cupping for our women and we must protect women. Therefore, its okay to not say america, we dont shoot people who are different. Telegraphing language that actually, reason for decades, for hundreds of years. Its a very intentional ppeal to a core, kind of the centerpiece of american politics has, you know, justified, entrenched some of the grace hat is we have in our institutions, that we have in our political system. Every time that my community s under attack, people react with both a combination of fear and like urgent act initiative protect each other. And so, people under attack, trump, are both trying to overcome the terrible fear by targeted and mess each other up by saying things what dream verse been saying over the few years, which is, i am undocumented, i am unapologetic, stay. Here to this place is my home and kind of highlighting, we could have olicies that dehumanize but actually our ability to remain and our dignity and de human belongs to us. That is the essence of our movement. So despite the fear that you ay the community is feeling or that atlantis are feeling, you politically ming active, more saying that they despite the vote fact that they feel attacked based on incidents like el paso rhetoric coming out of the white house . I think people are both, well have elections, right . We had elections in november and e saw the level of participation of young people, of communities of color, and the ways in which those young women in communities of color, ushered in a new very diverse, s the most female congress, very progressive. Seeing some demonstrations also, political activism is not just voting. Its showing up for rallies. Trump een under the administration, atlantis and in this country, who feels repulsed by the separation by the deaths of people at the board. Hey show up to do massive demonstrations, to really ecause were exposed to the ugliness and the brutality of Immigration Enforcement system, eople arent able to ignore it anymore, and so its not just are under attack, who know about the brutality, images of s seen the children crying because they are separated from their families who have heard the cries of children, who say, well, we cant really ignore this. We have to show up. Did you want yeah, i wanted to add, i in houston, st weve seen an increase of people attending rallies. I remember one that we did for act, and a number of other issues, we were in the at noon in e heat houston, and it was massive people. Of we went to one where we were doing a rally against the a detention center. Marched. In, we i think the next time it snows in houston well march in the snow is, people are upset, and in some way it its helped us organize. The fear is still there. A little more eightened, this is a fear of your your life. Being a target, its a different reality. Its going to help get people energized, organize, get people to vote because quite frankly, if you want to et even, if you want to get even this will be your next shot, in the next election so ere telling everyone get involved. Whether its with your group assistance, ousing or your Group Organizing against increases, or against its a way for even. O get we should go throughout and do it. Election,out the next the immigration plan specifically that weve seen come out from the democratic seeking the presidency, seeking the nomination to take on trump, for of the candidates including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, they have followed the lead of castro in calling for the de of border tion of the crossings. Laws on the books that would allow prosecution of undocumented immigrants. To ask you, congresswoman, do you support that proposal . I would like all of to you answer . Do quite simply. Eople forget that Immigration Law is really civil. He criminalization and what trump has done to not only criminal lies immigration but border, is rize the shameful. Im not suggesting that we need to do away with everything but get a ly need to just white board and put down everything thats good about hats happening with ice, everything thats happening thats bad and the third column would we like t to see . Be reshaped eds to and redone. I support abolishing ice. Hat its doing today is not what it was intended to do, and for become, in my view, cruel and inhumane with the policies that are in place. Got to do so ve much to make sure that the erson at the white house changes, so hopefully the policies will change. Mayor, do you support that well . Al as i do. And i think if you look across he country on this conversation, its been moved significantly forward by bringing up this issue, about criminal should be a offense or a civil offense to cross the border illegally. People say that most would agree it would be a sad day in america if its a crime to look for a job and thats happening at ats the border is you have people coming fleeing violence, fleeing economic hardship, looking for a better life for families, and its now become the cause of the trial ion in our federal courts when, for years, the had ial system at least discretion, but now that youre seeing sort of the mandate to crossings as criminal offenses, youre seeing a reakdown of the very immigration system that was at least somehow moving people into asylum process as well. Of making Border Crossing a criminal offense is punished en has to be by the criminal justice system. As a , when we treat it civil offense people are still crossing the border, its still not goingbut they are for, who sh in jail knows how long. Without access to their families but the criminalization of order crossing has made it to ible for Trump Institute the policies that promote such a powerful rejection, promoting the families. To institute the in jail put children under criminal law. Thankful for the castro has hat demonstrated, because for a long away emocrats have run from talking about immigration at the federal level. In president ial elections, and by running away, essentially conceded a ot that allowed the other side to define the vision, and so he has really helped, in many ways, like kind of speaking from the ovement that precedes these elections, the incredible demonstration that is we saw the leadership of, of people inside ongress saying we support believe g ice, and we in a more humane immigration system. Shaping the debate, and finally llowing democrats who are running for president to actually speak to a vision thats ore humane and about a country that welcomes people here. I want to get in on what you a bit of a here is disconnect sometimes between the movement and the base, and then elected officials, and so ecause you all agree with castro on that proposal, but the current frontrunner, joe biden disagrees. That. Es not support former obama secretary johnson disagrees with him. Actually in an op ed that de criminalization would give an easy attack line to the g. O. P. President trump and his campaign ave already attacked the democrats based on open borders. So the question i have come there danger there, election time, or is it this way, as yourect suggesting, for you guys to go and st conventional wisdom aggressively talk about immigration . Well, i think what instead of talking about tag lines and doing the right thing youre in the wrong business. On the bible nd and say were going to do for country, and when we do that, in the constitution, we everybody. Youve got to remember that some coming over have committed no crime. Did law doesnt say if you come nd seek asylum and you cross the board you should be a criminal. Lot of people come over. They may have long documentation. The may come over with right visa and overstay. In fact, they are more people airport on the overstated visas than there is coming through the southern board. Reality is, we shouldnt be calling them criminals in the first place and we should never calling them illegal aliens. In my view, aliens are the green mars that we read about in the comic strips. Me, we shouldnt get away from it. Onshould embrace it and work it, because thats part of who we are as a party. Standing for all americans and justice for all. When we say all, it should be all, and that includes people that come across the border. Think the danger s in being dishonest about the impact of immigration on the United States, and the united tates economy, and the contributions that people who are coming over the border have but to our communities holy also to the national economy. We have a labor shortage in the United States right now. We have more jobs than there are people to fill them. Recognize at the highest levels the impact that immigrants are contributing to the state, federal and local level. Is to use the r about criminal penalty versus civil penalty as a proxy for solving immigration. There are other solution that is to be looking toward for a comprehensive package that these issues. Things like do we need to get serious . And when will we get serious about a pathway to citizenship for people who are here and undocumented . He solution that have been offered so these issues. Things far by this have been without kinds of wards those conversations. The leading f candidates, have not released and they n plans yet could potentially be one of those could be facing trump who makes 2020 very much about about then, very much border, because building a board all was one of his Major Campaign proposals. So is that a problem . S that a mistake by those candidates to not be more forceful addressing immigration or do they have enough time . Its a problem. Begs the question of why not . Why not if they have put out on other really important issues in our country, and if going to face a president that has made one of his core issues, and kind of the political of his program. How are they going to respond to that if they dont have a plan they dont do the work to and to getheir plan, people to understand and to get people to own it with them. Thats the danger. And im not surprised that biden that ing, you know, and johnson is saying what they were Obama Policies signed. Obama was the chief. As much as we love him, truth is immigrants, obama only delivered the enforcement enforcement part the comprehensive immigration program, he did do daca, after eight years, or seven years of a lot of pressure. He tried to do daca, and the dream act. Daca. Did it just didnt get through. Weve got to make sure were being fair. There were more deportations under any than previous president but i do some and i think the Vice President , the vice against the separation of children. Good lso been really about, you know, wanting to restate daca. Else, you w what know i dont know his position on the particular question. There is more he could do, some of the policies that you supported, like doing away with ice and saying we need to agency. T an enforcement is, bide isnting till using the old framework that was different. That framework, those policies more the way for enforcement, expanded the thatcement system in a way as been really harmful to people, and didnt present a different vision. We dont have a different vision we cant expect to have a different immigration system. Sanders have to put out a plan. Sanders has says things like he do, hell do a moratorium on deportation. Tos said things like we need use our resources differently, inhumane enforcement at the border. So he hasnt put out a plan but spoken to a different vision. The truth is that for people organizing and building a movement that will have an expression, lack of a plan speaks its not like we dont see it. A message to nds addressed. Ds to be reinstating the aid that we give to the triangle countries. Think that was one of the worst mistakes that trump has done, because all it does is ring more people across the border. The things that help people. Youre talking about the triangle. Right. So, and those that the Vice President does favor doing that [inaudible] youre right its about the work force. Its about the dollars to this economy in a lot of the southwest. I know when the president talks mexican tting down the we were talking about the terrorists being upset about it, they just kind of went like, what . Do that. They cant. Thats right. Is there any candidate in is sending out to any one of the leading andidates, i know castro has pushed this conversation but hes still in the Single Digits n polling, is there any candidate who is standing out to immigration . Ill be perfectly candid with you. Ive been so y busy between judiciary and everything, the challenges we some of the work were doing at financial workces with our oversight on trump finances, that i went but except for the questions it doesnt get talked about enough. It just doesnt. Really dont know what for. Body is pushing i know Vice President biden, because i had a conversation houston when he visited prior to the debate. But i dont know enough about others. The i know that Elizabeth Warren and la harris both have talked about have talked about abolishing ice. Beyond that do you plan on endorsing anyone soon . Probably not. Mean, i really am busy. Couldnt tell. Its going to get busier when we get back. Its still too to be and ive got perfectly honest. If there are any bernie people n the crowd, it wont be bernie. I still see him as an independent who just uses the when its party convene to get the nomination so hes off my list. Single us about being in digits. 2019, and a lot could happen, and castro has moved this conversation forward. At least within the democratic where its e point become now leading conversation. The issue of immigration and on icular solutions immigration have been leading on now for a few ge months. And several of the leading candidates ha