As John Cornyn has taken to the Spanish-language airwaves for his re-election bid, a number of immigration activists are calling him out for flagrant hypocrisy in his latest ad.
The ad called “Tranquilo” shows a scene of Latino children in a classroom with a voiceover in Spanish saying Cornyn supports the legalization of Dreamers (immigrant children brought to this country at a young age). For immigration advocates, the Cornyn ad is a massive lie.
Cornyn has voted against the DREAM Act multiple times. The DREAM Act is a bipartisan bill that would provide legal status for undocumented immigrants who came to America as children and meet certain requirements. He has also taken stances and votes that have undermined true immigration reform.
Cornyn is facing a tough challenge from combat veteran MJ Hegar. A recent poll shows Hegar down just 4 points against the incumbent Senator. Numerous polls also show Biden with a slim lead against Donald Trump in the state. Texas has the second-highest population of Dreamers and undocumented immigrants in the country.
On a media call, Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, an organization that advocates for immigration reform, went so far as to call Cornyn a “two-faced hypocrite” when it comes to immigration. “He is a silver-tongued liar when it comes to immigration reform or Dreamers,” Sharry said.
Julieta Garibay, a national immigrant rights leader, encouraged Texans to vote for MJ Hegar. She also spoke about Cornyn’s dishonesty when it comes to supporting immigration reform, and how she and other activists were stymied by his Washington office. “Clearly, he’s desperate,” she said on the media call about his Spanish-language ad.
A pathway to citizenship for Dreamers is broadly popular. According to Pew Research, 74 percent of Americans support a law that would provide legal status to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
The Hegar campaign retweeted both America’s Voice and Garibay, who also called Cornyn an “enemy for immigrants in Texas. Hegar recently challenged Cornyn to three televised debates, but he has only accepted one.
Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Callvia Getty Images
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
