Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton plans to create a national Immigrant Affairs Office if elected the next President of the United States in November.
Clinton made the statement during an event where she met with immigrant-rights activists in New York City on Wednesday.
“I would create the first ever Office of Immigrant Affairs. It would build on the work of the Obama Administration’s Task Force on New Americans and create a dedicated place in the White House to coordinate integration policies across the federal government and with state and local governments as well,” said Clinton.
In 2014, President Barack Obama create the Task Force on New Americans to help immigrants and refugees integrate better integrate in the United States.
During the meeting, Clinton also told the immigrant-rights activists that she will continue to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship.
Clinton told Donald Trump “basta” on immigration
She added that it is also “important to stand up against the voices of hate and divisiveness whether they are in communities or running for president.” She reiterated her statement towards Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s position on immigration—“Basta, enough with the prejudice, bluster and bigotry— all of the appeals to fear, anxiety, and anger.”
Trump is proposing the construction of a “great wall” with a “beautiful door” in the border of Mexico. According to him, he will deport the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S, but he will allow the good people to return. He also proposed the temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S.
Trump said he would force Mexico to pay for his planned wall in the border by blocking the remittances from Illegal immigrants to their family in their country. Trump said the remittances serve as “defacto welfare for poor families in Mexico. He plans to use a U.S. anti-terrorism law to block the money transfer unless Mexico agrees to a one-time payment of $5 billion to $10 billion for the wall.
Clinton criticized Sanders voting records on immigration
On Monday, during a conversation with reporters, Clinton attacked Senator Bernie Sanders, who voted against the proposed immigration reform in 2007. She also noted that Sanders supported the Minutemen vigilantes who hunt down immigrants on the border.
She said, “I think the best chance we had for immigration reform was under Ted Kennedy’s leadership in 2007. I voted for it. Senator Sanders voted against it. I think our records are very clear. I started co-sponsoring the DREAM Act back in 2002 or ’03. And I consistently did that. Senator Sanders by contrast was supporting vigilantes, the so-called Minutemen on the border.”
