Luis Gutiérrez on Donald Trump's 'Racism': It's an 'Ugly, Un-American Attack'
- Ma. Elena
- Sep 18, 2015 06:00 AM EDT
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U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez fired back at Donald Trump following the second GOP presidential debate.
According to Gutiérrez, who represents Illinois' 4th congressional district, Trump's remarks about immigration pushes immigrants to apply for a citizenship in the U.S.
"That's right, apply for citizenship and you can vote for whoever you want to vote for, and you could even vote against the guy who called your whole ethnic group rapists, murderers and drug-dealers," Gutiérrez said in a speech on the House floor on Thursday, Sept. 17, Breitbart reported.
He continued, "That kind of ugly, un-American attack is moving people to apply for citizenship and moving citizens to become voters."
Gutiérrez is one of Trump's many vocal critics, often speaking at the House floor to disapprove of the Republican presidential candidate's stance on immigration and criminal immigrants, Breitbart wrote. He said that Trump's "racism" is inspiring immigrants to apply for citizenship and registration to vote.
"Appeals to racism and immigrant bashing are creating a predictable backlash in the neighborhoods of my district in Chicago," the lawmaker said, as quoted by the news outlet. "People are calling and coming into my office asking what they can do to push back and very specifically, those who are not yet citizens are asking how to become citizens and those who have not registered to vote are asking how to get that done."
Gutiérrez noted that currently, his office has helped more than 50,000 people to become U.S. citizens. Immigrants bothered about the cost of citizenship could apply for a free waiver to obtain citizenship for free. On Saturday, the congressman is set to hold a workshop at the Instituto del Progreso Latino, which helps immigrants understand and apply for citizenship, Breitbart wrote.
Trump has called for the termination of birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. from illegal immigrant parents, Washington Times reported. He also said that he will triple the number of interior enforcement agents apprehending businesses and illegal immigrants in America, and to build a wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
Gutiérrez has been looking forward to Pope Francis' first ever U.S. trip scheduled from Sept. 22 to Sept. 27. According to the representative, the pontiff's words will serve as a "counter-balance" to Trump's "ugliest, most xenophobic, most anti-immigration campaign in anyone's memory," Washington Times added.
Gutiérrez's drive for the American citizenship of immigrants and to vote against Trump and the Republican Party is in line with the Obama administration's new campaign launch, which supports the 8.8 eligible legal permanent residents in the nation to become citizens, Breitbart further wrote.
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