Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke poses for a photo with supporters following a campaign rally, Friday, June 28, 2019, in Austin, Texas. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is heading to Mexico on Sunday to meet with immigrants seeking U.S. asylum but “turned away” at the border.
In the former congressman’s first international trip as a White House hopeful, his campaign says O’Rourke will visit Ciudad Juarez, across the Rio Grande from his native El Paso, Texas, to meet with what it calls “individuals and families directly impacted by Donald Trump’s cruel and inhumane policies.”
O’Rourke hopes to “shed light on the desperate circumstances those who are seeking asylum and refuge are fleeing, and the conditions these families and individuals are forced to endure when they’ve been turned away from our borders.” That includes meeting with people and organizations providing immigrants care and assistance in Mexico.
O’Rourke blames those being forced to wait on “the Trump administration’s unlawful ‘Remain in Mexico’ program,” which has allowed the United States to return thousands of Central Americans to Mexican border cities as they wait to hear about their asylum claims. It is meant to reduce the attractiveness of U.S. asylum requests that in the past had allowed claimants to remain in the U.S. for years as their cases wound their way through the courts.
Praising his hometown as part of the world’s largest “binational” community with Juarez is a centerpiece of O’Rourke’s presidential campaign, and he released a sweeping immigration plan in May calling for providing millions of people in the country illegally with a “pathway” to U.S. citizenship, while deploying thousands of lawyers to the border to help process asylum cases and earmarking $5 billion to improve living conditions in the Central American countries many immigrants are fleeing.
O’Rourke has long argued that his border roots make immigration an issue of strength for him, and heading to Mexico may allow him to show off that expertise amid once-promising polling numbers that have flagged in recent months. During the first presidential primary debate in Miami, last week, however, O’Rourke clashed with fellow Texan and presidential candidate Julian Castro, who chided the ex-congressman for not being willing to decriminalize crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.
“In all of the debate around immigration, we can’t forget who it impacts most: the people traveling thousands of miles, fleeing the worst kind of violence and oppression,” O’Rourke said in a statement late Saturday. “Turning away refugees, families and asylum seekers is not who we are as a country. But as long as Donald Trump is president — it will be.”
O’Rourke is also planning a rally Sunday outside the U.S. Border Patrol facility in Clint, Texas, near El Paso, where immigrant children have reported being denied access to such basic amenities as showers, soap and toothbrushes. Castro visited that facility Saturday.
O’Rourke also previously traveled to centers holding immigrant children in Houston, and was one of many Democratic presidential candidates to visit one in Homestead, Florida, near the Miami debate site.
A frequent visitor to Juarez before he began running for president in March, O’Rourke was there in December to meet with immigrants staying in shelters as they waited to begin being processed for U.S. asylum.
Poster Comment:
Campaigning fore U. S. President makes good sense for Beeto who has the mind and intellect of a ten year old.
#1: Hondo68 To: IbJensen, Fake Mexican, Beto than Trump (#0)
Beto is even more of a Fake Mezkin than Mittens!
At least Mitt's father was born in Mexico.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-06-30 08:33:25 Reply Private Reply
#2: Stoner To: Hondo68 (#1)
Stoner posted on 2019-06-30 09:13:30 Reply Private Reply
#3: Hondo68 To: Stoner, Fake Mezkin (#2)
Hondo68 posted on 2019-06-30 14:16:08 Reply Private Reply
#4: Pinguinite To: Hondo68 (#1)
It seems quite clear that the Tulsi Gabbard has the best chance of all of them to defeat Trump. If D's are smart, she'll be their nominee. But "smart" seems to be the question, unless winning isn't the goal, which is quite possible.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-06-30 16:16:59 Reply Private Reply
#5: Hondo68 To: Pinguinite, *The Two Parties ARE the Same* (#4)
IMO the GOP was having too much fun bashing Bill Clinton in '96, so they ran the boring loser Bob Dole so they could keep hammering Slick Willie for another 4 years.
PS: 4um is down again.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-06-30 16:30:32 Reply Private Reply
#6: Hank Rearden To: IbJensen (#0)
The Fake Mexican scam didn't fly, so he's trying out Fake Frenchman.
Hank Rearden posted on 2019-06-30 17:02:43 Reply Private Reply
#7: A K A Stone To: Pinguinite (#4)
Not eligible. An evil cunt too.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-06-30 17:03:04 Reply Private Reply
#8: A K A Stone To: Pinguinite (#4)
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath
A K A Stone posted on 2019-06-30 17:10:09 Reply Private Reply
#9: A K A Stone To: Pinguinite (#4)
But it is a right to kill American children if you want for convenience or because you are a slut.
I Tulsi want to get rid of fossil fuels to save the planet because I love children I want to abort so much.
I want to take your guns so you cannot defend yourself.
Two freak men who play with each others weiner should be married. Even though she used to be against it. She will say whatever suckers want to hear
I am Tulsi and like I said I hate wars except wars on American children.
I want to saddle them with debt for healthcare for illegal aliens.
No thanks to that cunt. She isn't against war she is against America defending itself against evil enemies.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-06-30 17:23:04 Reply Private Reply
#10: Hondo68 To: A K A Stone, *2020 The Likely Suspects*, Petersen Invictus 2020 (#7)
You're right about something, finally.
Tulsi is a Natural Born Samoan. Not eligible to be US president. Damn shame, since she's the best candidate by far.
Austin Petersen & Augustus Invictus 2020
Hondo68 posted on 2019-06-30 18:32:32 Reply Private Reply
#11: A K A Stone To: Hondo68 (#10)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-06-30 19:36:04 Reply Private Reply
#12: A K A Stone To: Hondo68 (#10)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-06-30 19:37:46 Reply Private Reply
#13: A K A Stone To: Hondo68 (#10)
A K A Stone posted on 2019-06-30 19:41:03 Reply Private Reply
#14: sneakypete To: A K A Stone (#13)
I honestly don't think he is pretending to be anything.
He's just insane.
sneakypete posted on 2019-06-30 20:56:15 Reply Private Reply
#15: Pinguinite To: A K A Stone (#8)
Good luck with that.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-06-30 22:49:36 Reply Private Reply
#16: Pinguinite To: A K A Stone (#9)
You, by contrast, are in favor of wars but against abortion.
The president has pretty much dictatorial control over foreign affairs of the USA, but much more limited power domestically. So whatever her views are on guns and abortion, they won't carry nearly as much weight as her foreign policy when it comes to implementation.
As president, she cannot ban guns or pass bills in Congress. So guns will not be banned, and abortion laws are up to the courts and Congress. So her views there are of minimal importance.
But if you like war as the Christian way, then by all means, put pretty much any other candidate into office. You'll get pretty much the same changes domestically, but with lots more war.
Your choice.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-06-30 22:56:05 Reply Private Reply
#17: IbJensen To: A K A Stone (#9)
IbJensen posted on 2019-07-01 06:41:32 Reply Private Reply
#18: Hondo68 To: A K A Stone, Pinguinite (#12)
4um is NOT closed, just down for the moment.
Not buying your fake news BS!
Hondo68 posted on 2019-07-01 18:46:58 Reply Private Reply
#19: Pinguinite To: Hondo68 (#18)
Pinguinite posted on 2019-07-01 19:22:12 Reply Private Reply