WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton will accuse Donald Trump of casting Latinos as less American because of their heritage, part of an effort to woo voters in the fast-growing demographic group and paint her GOP rival as a divisive and dangerous political force.
Attempting to contrast her positions with Trump’s anti-immigration policies, Clinton’s campaign said the Democratic presidential candidate will “double down” on her plan to expand President Barack Obama’s executive actions allowing some undocumented immigrants to remain in the country in a Thursday speech before the national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
A deadlocked Supreme Court decision last month effectively killed Obama’s immigration plan to help some of the 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Clinton has vowed to restore the program which would have protected the parents of children who are in the country legally and expand benefits to people who were brought to the U.S. as children.
She’ll also promise to create a clearer immigration system where immigrants with “sympathetic cases” or a history of community service can be eligible for special status.
Clinton has made revamping the country’s immigration system a key plank of her presidential campaign. She has said she will introduce legislation during her first 100 days in office.
Her campaign sees Latino voters as a key piece of their electoral coalition not only for 2016 but the future of the Democratic Party. Latinos are one of the country’s fastest growing demographic groups.
Trump’s promises to build a wall along the Southern border, create a special deportation force to catch undocumented immigrants and references to Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists have alienated many Latino voters.
In recent weeks, Clinton has highlighted those proposals to try to show Trump as blocking progress by sewing national discord and chaos.
“I got a letter from a mom the other day who said her adopted son asked her with a shaky voice if President Trump will send him back to Ethiopia,” Clinton said in a Wednesday speech in Springfield, Ill. “When our kids are scared by our policy debates, it’s a sign something has gone badly off the rails.”
An ad released by her campaign in battleground states on Thursday attempted to reinforce that message, featuring clips of young children watching Trump make some of his more controversial remarks about women and minorities.
“Our children are watching,” the ad says. “What example will we set for them?”
Trump is not expected to address the meeting on Thursday.
What political news is the world searching for on Google and talking about on Twitter? Find out via AP’s Election Buzz interactive. http://elections.ap.org/buzz
Follow Lisa Lerer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/llerer
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.