Democrats Bilingually Ignore Border, Illegal Immigration in State of the Union Responses

Democrats ignored the issues of border security and illegal immigration during two responses to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the response in English while Texas Congresswoman Veronica Escobar shared a Spanish language message.

Governor Whitmer and Congresswoman Escobar made no mention of issues surrounding the U.S. Southwestern border, unlike the presidential address. Escobar represents the El Paso district where the largest percentage increase in illegal immigration occurred during Fiscal Year 2019.

Governor Whitmer focused on education, health care, and infrastructure improvements like filling potholes.

During the Spanish rebuttal, Congresswoman Escobar said climate change was the single biggest threat today. Escobar also spoke about access to health care, the need for stronger gun control, and electoral interference. She did not mention Mexican cartels, human smuggling and trafficking, or the other issues plaguing border communities like her own.

While Escobar did not address border security by any measure, she did not pass on the opportunity to attack Trump.

“Our diversity makes us stronger–,” Escobar said in Spanish. “The president doesn’t believe in this from his attacks on Dreamers to family separations, the deaths of immigrants and the ‘remain in Mexico program’ that sends asylum seekers to dangerous situations–these are policies that none of us ever imagined would happen in the U.S.”

In contrast, President Trump devoted considerable time to border issues. He addressed the recent agreements that led to a substantial decline in illegal border crossings during the past several months.

“Before I came into office, if you showed up illegally at our southern border and were arrested, you were released and allowed into our country, never to be seen again,” the President stated. “My administration has ended Catch and Release.”

“If you come illegally, you will now be promptly removed from our country,” he continued. “Very importantly, we entered into historic cooperation agreements with the government of Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. As a result of our unprecedented efforts, illegal crossings are down 75 percent since May, dropping eight months in a row.”

The President discussed the expansion of new border walls and the increase in drug seizures amid decreases of illegal crossings.