Padilla: Trump’s Immigration Raids Are a ‘Clear Partisan Political Attack’

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “The Weeknight” that President Donald Trump’s immigration raids in blue cities were a “clear partisan political attack.”

Padilla said, “Let’s just do a little play by play. On Thursday, what happened to me happened, come Friday there was an announcement that the president was directing DHS to let up on enforcement in hotels and agricultural fields and restaurants. And we thought, oh, maybe there’s a glimmer here. Maybe there’s a baby step in the right direction. By Friday, that was all gone. No no no no, not only are we restoring that, we’re doubling down in blue cities is what he said. So the clear partisan political attack, he’s saying the quiet part out loud.”

He added, “So while we try to appeal to our republican colleagues, we know that what will really move them is the people. and one of The best things that has happened over the last several days is the millions of people who came out across the country on Saturday, by and large, very, very peaceful. But you can’t deny the numbers. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle cannot deny the numbers.”

Padilla added, “Donald Trump, he may be there his four year term, but at some point that’s going to come to an end. The people ain’t going nowhere. And so my big message is for the general public is please stay engaged. Donald Trump would like nothing more than for us to be fearful and stay quiet, for us to cower and stay home. No. We have to continue to defend our First Amendment rights by exercising our First Amendment rights. Be peaceful, but stay loud, you know, keep the faith, but keep organizing.”

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