In a recent interview with the Texas Tribune, John Cornyn claimed that he was in favor of a standalone immigration bill. That comment has prompted a further round of criticism from some of the largest immigration reform organizations, who have coined the term “the Cornyn con.”
Last week, after John Cornyn took to the Spanish-language airwaves for his re-election bid, a number of immigration activists called him out for flagrant hypocrisy in his 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 actually 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 re-election against combat veteran MJ Hegar. A new poll shows that Texas is close. Cornyn is at 42 percent to Hegar’s 37 percent support. Trump is up against Biden by only 46 percent to 43 percent.
Texas has the second highest population of Dreamers and undocumented immigrants in the country. 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.
Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, an organization that advocates for immigration reform, released a statement about Cornyn. “The House of Representatives passed a bill that legalizes Dreamers in 2019. It’s called the Dream and Promise Act, and it’s sitting on Mitch McConnell’s desk. Cornyn could prove he has ‘evolved’ by publicly demanding a standalone vote.
Sharry, who has previously called Cornyn a “silver-tongued liar” when it comes to immigration, went even further. “So Cornyn has an election-year conversion, says he for a solution, but does nothing to actually to make it happen. We have seen this two-faced two-step for years. That’s why we dubbed it the Cornyn Con.”
Photo: Tasos Katopodis/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).
