Brazen cheerleading was the order of the day on Univision this week, as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton travelled to Las Vegas to announce her support of U.S. citizenship for millions of unauthorized immigrants in the country, in addition to the expansion of the Obama administration’s current policies of amnesty and non-enforcement of federal immigration law.
In addition to the entirely celebratory coverage of Clinton’s announcement on the network’s flagship newscast - with critical voices nowhere to be found - the network featured Clinton’s newly-minted national political director, Amanda Rentería, tasking the network with questions to ask of Republican rivals Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.
AMANDA RENTERÍA: CLINTON POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Please, ask Jeb Bush or Senator Rubio, where are they on citizenship for people who will be covered by immigration reform, if it passes?
True to form, on Twitter, Univision anchor Jorge Ramos was quick to run with the new marching orders:
With Clinton setting the bar at nothing less than citizenship, Clinton & Co. effectively signaled that she will not only continue, but expand on the Obama administration’s practice of not seeking any possible common ground or compromise with Republican congressional leaders (much less presidential hopefuls) on the issue of illegal immigration. And Clinton intends to exacerbate the situation by further undermining federal immigration law enforcement, which is already collapsing under current Obama administration policy.
Once again, Rentería hammered home the new narrative, telling Univision that “the community” (evidently referring to the country’s unauthorized immigrant community, though this is often carelessly and inaccurately extrapolated to refer to the entire U.S. Latino community) “has to look at who is with them. Because the reform isn’t anything if it isn’t more than second class at the end.”
This latest instance of pro-HIllary cheerleading on Univision was rounded out by comments from a labor union leader saying “it is up to us to keep her strong” and an unidentified dreamer student celebrating that “she is going to give us a hand.”
Below are the translated and original portions of the referenced segment of Noticiero Univision.
Noticiero Univision
JORGE RAMOS: HIllary Clinton publicly announced today she supports a path to citizenship for the undocumented as part of comprehensive immigration reform. Various analysts consider the immigration topic to be one of those that will most distinguish Hillary from her Republican opponents in the presidential election. She was in Las Vegas today, as was our correspondent Jaime García.
JAIME GARCÍA: In the launch of her campaign on the country’s west coast as a Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton arrived in Las Vegas to meet with the Hispanic community.
YVANNA CANCELA, LABOR UNION POLITICAL DIRECTOR: She shows us she wants to listen to us and it is up to us to keep her strong so she knows we really want solutions.
JAIME GARCÍA: The topic of the meeting was the strengthening of families. And there the candidate announced her support for immigration reform.
AMANDA RENTERÍA: CLINTON POLITICAL DIRECTOR: The community has to look at who is with them. Because the reform isn’t anything if it isn’t more than second class at the end.
JAIME GARCÍA: The open pronouncement for reform with a path to citizenship distinguishes Clinton’s proposal from that of Republican Jeb Bush, who even without declaring his candidacy, has only expressed himself in favor of legalization for undocumented workers.
AMANDA RENTERÍA: Please, ask Jeb Bush or Senator Rubio, where are they on citizenship for people who will be covered by immigration reform, if it passes?
JAIME GARCÍA: The former Secretary of State listened to the concerns of Las Vegas families at Rancho High School, where 70% of the students are Hispanic.
UNIDENTIFIED DREAMER STUDENT: I came when I was 10
JAIME GARCÍA: Some of them, dreamers, said they were encouraged by Clinton’s words.
UNIDENTIFIED DREAMER STUDENT: She is going to give us a hand, then, to the Hispanics.
JAIME GARCÍA: With her visit to Las Vegas, Hillary Clinton looks to cement her campaign on the country’s west coast, seeking the Democratic presidential nomination and above all, beginning to court the Hispanic vote, that will be vital for reaching the White House.
YVANNA CANCELA, LABOR UNION POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Nevada is going to be one of the states that decides who is the next President, but also because we have here a large Hispanic population, that votes.
Español Original:
JORGE RAMOS: Hillary Clinton ha anunciado hoy públicamente que apoya un camino a la ciudadanía para los indocumentados como parte de una reforma inmigratoria integral. Varios analistas consideran que el tema migratorio sería uno de los que más la distingan a Hillary de sus opositores republicanos en la elección presidencial. Ella estuvo hoy en Las Vegas y nuestro corresponsal Jaime García también.
JAIME GARCIA: En el arranque de su campaña en la costa oeste del país como precandidata a la nominación presidencial demócrata, Hillary Clinton llegó a Las Vegas para reunirse con la comunidad hispana.
YVANNA CANCELA, DIRECTORA POLÍTICA DE SINDICATO: Nos enseña que ella quiere escucharnos y nos toca a nosotros mantenerla fuerte para que ella sepa que nosotros realmente queremos soluciones.
JAIME GARCIA: El tema de la reunión fue el fortalecimiento de las familias. Y ahí la precandidata anunció su apoyo abierto a una reforma migratoria.
AMANDA RENTERIA, DIRECTORA POLÍTICA DE CLINTON: La comunidad tiene que mirar quiénes están con ellos. Porque la reforma no es nada si no más es clase segundo al final.
JAIME GARCIA: El abierto pronunciamiento por una reforma con vía a la ciudadanía, distingue la propuesta de Clinton con la del republicano Jeb Bush, quien aún sin declarar su candidatura, sólo se ha pronunciado por la legalización para los trabajadores indocumentados.
AMANDA RENTERIA: Por favor, pregunta a Jeb Bush o senador Rubio, ¿dónde están en la ciudadanía de personas que van a ir adentro de la reforma migratoria, si pasa?
JAIME GARCIA: La ex secretaria de Estado escuchó la preocupación de las familias de Las Vegas en la escuela secundaria Rancho, donde 70% de los alumnos son hispanos.
ESTUDIANTE DREAMER NO IDENTIFICADO: Me vine a los diez años
JAIME GARCIA: Algunos de ellos, dreamers, se dijeron reanimados por las palabras de Clinton.
ESTUDIANTE DREAMER NO IDENTIFICADO: Nos va a dar la mano, pues, a los hispanos.
JAIME GARCIA: Con su visita a Las Vegas, Hillary Clinton busca cimentar su campaña en la costa oeste del país, buscando la nominación presidencial demócrata y sobre todo, comenzar a cortejar al voto hispano, que será vital para llegar a la Casa Blanca.
YVANNA CANCELA: Nevada va a ser uno de los estados que decide quién es el próximo presidente, pero sino también porque aquí tenemos una población hispana muy grande, que vota.
