The Bernie Sanders campaign has hired a second illegal immigrant, one granted deferred status, to engage Latino voters.
Fox News Latino reports that immigration activist and “Dreamer” Erika Andiola starts working for the Sanders campaign this week as a Latino outreach strategist for the Southwest.
“Erika’s personal story as a Mexican undocumented woman with an undocumented family and a long history of advocacy for Latinos speaks directly to the campaign’s commitment to fight for immigrants, Latinos and working-class Americans in every community across the country,” the Sanders campaign’s Latino outreach director Arturo Carmona told Fox News Latino in a statement.
As a beneficiary of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program Andiola is shielded from deportation and allowed to work in the U.S.
Late last month, the Sanders campaign hired another DACA recipient and well-know activist, Cesar Vargas.
“I joined the campaign because the senator believes not only that we should meet DREAMers but that DREAMers should be part of the conversation to champion policies for the Latino community,” Vargas said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
Earlier this year the Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign hired former illegal immigrant Lorella Praeli. Praeli — an immigration activist who was able to obtain a green card via marriage three years ago — joined the Clinton campaign in June as its Latino outreach director.
“Bringing Lorella into our campaign is the next step in making sure families aren’t living in fear of deportation, all students have the chance to go to college, and that any comprehensive immigration reform ensures full and equal citizenship,” Hillary for America’s National Political Director Amanda Renteria said at the time.
Buzzfeed first reported that the Sanders campaign hired Andiola.