THE SEAT OF NEXT JULY 'S
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
BUT AHEAD OF THAT, THIS JULY, A
NATIONAL CONVENTION WITH AN EYE
TOWARD POLICY AND POLITICS ALSO
CHOSE MILWAUKEE.
SOME 25,000 PEOPLE GATHERED LATE
THIS WEEK TO CELEBRATE THE 90TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEAGUE OF
UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS.
LAST NIGHT, THE CONVENTION
HOSTED SOME OF THE DEMOCRATS
RUNNING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL
PRIMARY.
HERE'S A SAMPLE OF WHAT WAS
DISCUSSED AT THE MILWAUKEE TOWN
HALL FORUM.
>> THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS
WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE
TO BE THAT COUNTRY THAT EXPANDS
OPPORTUNITY TO PEOPLE NO MATTER
WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY LOOK
LIKE, HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE
OR DON'T HAVE, HOW LONG THEY'VE
BEEN IN OUR COUNTRY, WHAT THEIR
LAST NAME IS.
OR ARE WE GOING TO GO BACKWARD
AND BECOME A NATION WHERE
OPPORTUNITY IS ONLY AFFORDED TO
THOSE WHO LOOK A CERTAIN WAY.
>> I'M ALSO PROTECTING OUR
DREAMERS, BUT NOT JUST OUR
DREAMERS.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PROTECT A
DREAMER IF HER MOTHER IS TAKEN
AWAY, IF HER FATHER IS TAKEN
AWAY, IF AN OLDER SIBLING IS
TAKEN AWAY, IF A YOUNGER SIBLING
HAS MISSED THE TIME CUTOFF.
THAT'S NOT WHO WE ARE.
>> WE DON'T NEED TO DEPORT
PEOPLE OR ROUND THEM UP.
IN FACT, WHEN IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITIES FEAR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT, FEAR FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY
TO REPORT CRIMES, TO TESTIFY IN
TRIALS, TO SERVE AS WITNESSES.
THEY'RE NO LONGER PARTICIPATING
IN THE CIVIC LIVES OF OUR
COMMUNITIES AND WE ARE LESS
SAFE.
>> DEMOCRATS RUNNING IN THE
PRIMARY APPEARED AT A TOWN HALL
FORUM LAST NIGHT SPONSORED BY
INI VISION AND LEAGUE OF UNITED
LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS, THE
OLDEST CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
IN THE COUNTRY.
SO WHAT DO MEMBERS OF THE LEAGUE
THINK OF THE CANDIDATES AND THE
RACE FOR PRESIDENT MORE
GENERALLY?
WE ASKED IT'S FORMER PRESIDENT,
HECTOR FLORES, WHO JOINS US NOW
FROM MILWAUKEE AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT'S AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE
TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
>> WHAT DO YOUR MEMBERS WANT TO
HEAR FROM ANY CANDIDATE WHO WILL
RECEIVE AN ENDORSEMENT FROM YOUR
ORGANIZATION?
>> WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE A
NONPROFIT, NORMALLY WE DON'T
ENDORSE CANDIDATES, BUT MOST
CERTAINLY ANY OF OUR MEMBERSHIP
CAN ENDORSE CANDIDATES AND
ABSOLUTELY THE KIND OF WORK THAT
WE DO IN ORDER NOT TO I GUESS
JEOPARDIZE OUR NONPROFIT STATUS
IS WE DO VOTER EDUCATION DRIVES,
REGISTRATION AND GET OUT THE
VOTE.
WE DO LISTEN TO CANDIDATES.
LAST NIGHT WE HAD FOUR OF THE
VIABLE CANDIDATES BEFORE I GUESS
A CAPACITY CROWD AT THE
CONVENTION CENTER.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT WAS
REALLY INTERESTING AND VERY
INTENSE LAST NIGHT TO LISTEN TO
FOUR GREAT CANDIDATES, BEGINNING
WITH CASTRO FROM SAN SAN ANTONIO AND
SECRETARY OF HUD.
WE ALSO HAD BERNIE SANDERS AND A
LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHOOPING AND
HOLLERING.
THEN WHEN ELIZABETH WARREN CAME
ONBOARD, THEY KEPT ON.
THE EXCITEMENT, YOU KNOW, THE
POLITICAL EXCITEMENT AND
ATMOSPHERE.
AND THE CLEAN-UP HITTER WAS FROM
TEXAS.
IT WAS DYNAMITE TO LISTEN TO ALL
THESE CANDIDATES EXPOUND ON WHAT
THEY WOULD DO AS SOON AS THEY
GOT INTO OFFICE.
OUR MEMBERSHIP WERE EXCITED THEY
TOOK THE TIME TO SPEAK TO US.
>> WHY DID YOU BRING YOUR
NATIONAL CONVENTION TO
MILWAUKEE?
>> NORMALLY IT TAKES ABOUT FOUR
YEARS TO BID FOR THE CONVENTION.
AND WHEN I WAS THE NATIONAL
PRESIDENT IN 2006, I ACTUALLY
WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING IT
TO MILWAUKEE BECAUSE I WANTED
OUR BASE TO EXPAND IN THE
MIDWEST.
BUT ALSO NOT ONLY HERE IN
WISCONSIN, BUT ALSO IN ILLINOIS
AND CHICAGO IN PARTICULAR,
BECAUSE THERE'S TWO MILLION
LATINOS OF MEXICAN ORIGIN IN THE
CHICAGO AREA.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WE SHOULD
BRING IT TO WHERE OUR POTENTIAL
MEMBERSHIP IS, BUT ALSO TO
PREPARE THEM TO GET INTO
ELECTIVE OFFICE AT ALL LEVELS,
FROM THE SCHOOL BOARDS TO THE
CITY COUNCILS TO STATE
REPRESENTATION TO CONGRESS AND
ON AND ON AND SO.
AND IN THE TIME THAT I'VE LIVED,
I'VE SEEN THOSE CHANGES OCCUR
BECAUSE OF THE GREAT WORK THAT
NOT ONLY LULAC HAS DONE, BUT A
LOT OF OUR SISTER CIVIL RIGHTS
ORGANIZATIONS.
>> DID YOU INVITE ALL THE
CANDIDATES, INCLUDING PRESIDENT
TRUMP?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS INVITED BUT
HE CHOSE TO COME AND ONLY SPEAK
TO THE WELL-HEELED WEALTHY OF
THIS COMMUNITY TONIGHT.
BUT EVERYBODY GOT AN INVITE.
IN FACT, WE JUST GOT A CALL
TODAY FROM SITTING MAYOR DID HE
BLASIO FROM NEW YORK.
WE SAID COME ON DOWN HERE.
WE WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU TOO.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OF THE OTHER
CANDIDATES.
THERE ARE 22 OR 23 RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE WELCOME TO COME AND
SPEAK.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS A
NONPROFIT WE CANNOT ENDORSE BUT
WE CAN HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THESE
PEOPLE.
>> HOW DOES WHAT MANY DESCRIBE
AS A CRISIS AT THE U.S. BORDER
WITH MEXICO SHAPE HOW YOUR
MEMBERS FEEL GOING INTO THE 2020
ELECTION?
>> MOST LATINOS ARE AGHAST AT
WHAT OUR COUNTRY HAS BECOME
BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC POLICIES
OF DONALD TRUMP.
I COULDN'T IMAGINE GROWING UP IN
A BORDER TOWN THAT WE WOULD PUT
IN JAIL, CONCENTRATION CAMPS, I
KNOW WE CALL THEM SOMETHING
ELSE.
WHEN YOU TAKE KIDS FROM THEIR
PARENTS, EVEN BABIES, AND PUT
THEM IN THESE DETENTION CENTERS,
IS THIS WHAT AMERICA HAS BECOME?
YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE VANGUARDS
OF LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS AND
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
TO DO THAT BY THE POLICY OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS TOTALLY
UNACCEPTABLE.
WE'RE THE EPICENTER OF WRONG
HERE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED
TO OUR SHIP.
WE GOT TO BRING IT BACK TO THOSE
VALUES, THOSE AMERICAN VALUES.
WE'RE VERY UPSET, TO SAY THE
HEEFT.
>> AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY
HISPANICS WHO VOTED FOR DONALD
TRUMP.
HOW DOES HIS RHETORIC GO OVER
WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE VOTED
FOR DONALD TRUMP?
>> THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO HIS
-- THEY'RE ONLY LISTENING TO HIS
RHETORIC AND NOT SEEING WHAT HIS
PRESIDENCY HAS DONE TO PEOPLE IN
NEED, THOSE REFUGEES THAT ARE
COMING HERE, FLEEING VIOLENCE
AND ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS IN THEIR
HOME COUNTRIES, IN MEXICO AND
OTHERS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
EVEN FROM AFRICA NOW THEY'RE
COMING INTO MEXICO AND OTHER
COUNTRIES AND GOING THROUGH
THOSE BORDERS.
IT'S NOT JUST MEXICANS AND
CENTRAL AMERICANS THAT ARE
COMING TO OUR BORDERS SEEKING
ASYLUM.
WHERE HAVE YOU HEARD OF PEOPLE
NOT BEING GIVEN THE RIGHT TO
ASYLUM?
WE HAVE THAT AS PART OF OUR
CONTRACT WITH OTHER NATIONS,
THAT WE WILL OPEN.
AND SO THEY'VE SLOWED THE
PROCESS OF THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM
BY SOME OF THE PROBLEMS I JUST
MENTIONED.
>> VERY QUICKLY, HOW ON
IMPORTANT ARE HISPANICS TO THE
VOTE IN 2020 NATIONALLY AND HERE
IN WISCONSIN?
>> WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THAT
THE ROAD TO THE PRESIDENCY OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
GOES THROUGH OUR CITIES, OUR
COUNTIES AND OUR STATES WHERE WE
PREDOMINATE, IN ABOUT SIX MAJOR
CITIES.
MANY OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE
SOME CITIES THAT IF PEOPLE GO
OUT AND VOTE, I UNDERSTAND AND
I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE RESEARCH,
THAT THE ONLY REASON THAT DONALD
TRUMP WON WAS BECAUSE PEOPLE DID
NOT VOTE.
IF PEOPLE HAD GOTTEN OFF THEIR
DUFF AND GONE AND VOTED, HE
WOULDN'T HAVE WON.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE, WINNER TAKE
ALL.
PROBABLY HILLARY HAD THREE
MILLION MORE POP HAR VOTES.
WE HAVE ENGAGED IN THE LAWSUIT
TRYING TO CHANGE THAT SYSTEM.
WE'RE SUING FOUR MAJOR SYSTEMS
ON HOW THEY DETERMINE HOW THE
VOTING IS SPLIT ONCE THE
ELECTION IS TAKEN.
>> I WANT TO GET YOU ON THIS,
LASTLY.
WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON
NATIONWIDE ICE RAISED SCHEDULED
BY THE TRUMP TRAITION ADMINISTRATION FOR
THIS WEEKEND?
>> I DON'T THINK TERRORIZING
PEOPLE IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
WE DON'T ACCEPT CRIMINALS OR
PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES IN OUR
COUNTRY.
WE THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD
COME IN AND ROOT THOSE THAT COME
HERE AND DO HARM TO ANYBODY OR
VIOLATE OUR LAWS.
BUT WE DON'T THINK CROSSING THAT
BORDER SHOULD BE A CRIMINAL ACT.
THAT'S A CIVIL ACT, YOU RECEIVE
FINES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
WE HOPE WE WILL SPONSOR THROUGH
OUR FRIENDS LEGISLATION TO MAKE
IT STRICTLY A CIVIL OFFENSE,
LIKE GETTING A TICKET AND GOING
AND PAYING YOUR FINE AND THEN
WORKING WITH THOSE.
WE THINK THAT IMMIGRANTS COMING
TO OUR COUNTRY, LIKE IN THE
PAST, SHOULD HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO
CITIZENSHIP, A WAY TO
CITIZENSHIP, BUT THEY MUST
COMPLY.
WE BELIEVE IN EARNED
CITIZENSHIP.
>> HECTOR FLORES, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
>> IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE WITH
YOU.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO VISITED
MILWAUKEE FRIDAY.
HE CAME TO WISCONSIN TO DISCUSS
THE UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA
AGREEMENT AND HOLD A
FUND-RAISER.
IT'S THE PRESIDENT'S