Presidential Hopeful Castro Suggests Ankle Bracelets for Illegals over Deportation
Former Obama administration housing chief and current Democratic presidential contender Julian Castro said this week that thinks illegal immigrants should be tracked with ankle monitors as opposed to detaining them.
The former San Antonio mayor made his comments on Sunday’s edition of CBS News’ “Face the Nation” after being asked what he believed should be done about illegal immigrants.
“What I believe we could do and what the Obama administration did do, I believe, toward the end of its tenure, was to look at things like ankle monitors so that you’re able to monitor where people are in the country,” he said
Castro, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, said that he wouldn’t consider detaining a family seeking asylum or refugee status.
When asked about President Donald Trump’s visit to the border last week and whether he thought that there was a crisis, Castor replied:
“What I believe is that he’s created a tragedy at the border. This policy of separating children from their parents and the terrible way that Customs and Border Protection has managed its responsibilities, including the deaths of two children within the last few weeks, that’s a real tragedy.”
He continued to say that he believe that “a wall is not the answer” — and he thinks Americans living on the border agree with him.
However, when asked what he would do, he said he didn’t think the country should make it a practice to have family detention for those seeking asylum.
Castro said the country needs to “develop other ways to ensure that people are processed and we are able to keep track of them.”
“We also need to be serious about recognizing the right of people to seek asylum, and the president is playing games with this, blocking people’s right to seek asylum. I would change that,” he said.
“I would make sure that we push as hard as possible … for comprehensive immigration reform, so that for the people who are already here, if they’ve been law-abiding, if they pay a fine, that they can get an earned path to citizenship.”
Castro also took a clear swipe at the president, saying that he is a “failed leader” and that he is “just trying to stoke his base by bringing up the wall all the time.”
Castro made his comments a day after he announced his candidacy for the presidency on Saturday.
We spoke with @JoaquinCastrotx for @nbcnews shortly after his twin brother @JulianCastro announced his 2020 presidential bid.
Guess who showed up a couple of seconds later?
Congressman Castro, the social media universe will be watching out for that beard #Twinning pic.twitter.com/O76inbYfV9
— Mariana Atencio (@marianaatencio) January 13, 2019
According to the Washington Examiner, Castro’s announcement was met with derision from the Republican National Committee.
The RNC called Castro ”one of the biggest lightweights to ever run for president.”
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