The latest edition of Al Punto, Univision's weekly public affairs show, featured a welcome surprise: the show finally broke its recent repetitive rotation of either outright anti-Trump or less than enthusiastic pro-Trump pundits.
It was precisely on the topic of immigration policy where A.J. Delgado, the leading Hispanic advisor to the Trump-Pence campaign, most stood out on the program and offered anti-politically correct takes on immigration policy that have rarely, if ever, been heard on Univision in recent years. Delgado also told Al Punto host Félix de Bedout (who was filling in for regular host Jorge Ramos) that her appearance is part of stepped-up Spanish-language media engagement efforts by the campaign, as the race enters the home stretch towards Election Day.
At one point during the interview, while images of several accomplished unauthorized immigrants to the U.S. were shown on screen, de Bedout pressed Delgado to say whether their stories of accomplishment would be possible under a President Trump:
FÉLIX DE BEDOUT, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: This is just a sampling of what are millions of people like them [unauthorized immigrants] that have contributed to this country in many ways. If Mr. Trump’s policies on immigration were applied, they would not be able to tell their stories of success. Why deny it to others?
A.J. DELGADO, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: Well, I think we can admit as [Mexican] President Peña Nieto has, that every country has the right to control its borders, of controlling immigration. How does, for example, Mexico treat its undocumented immigrants? They send them to the United States or they reject them. The point is – yes, I congratulate them on their achievements, what the people you’ve mentioned have accomplished, but this country has a problem with jobs. We don’t need more competition, including Latinos that are already here, they’re the ones who suffer when more undocumented people enter, and have more competition, and they lower the salaries. That’s why. Millions of undocumented immigrants we receive here, we have to solve this situation in a way…
FELIX DE BEDOUT, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: But… but I think there’s a…
A.J. DELGADO, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: …that’s humane, but we have to solve it.
In what was perhaps the most remarkable part of the interview, Delgado invoked legendary Chicano labor leader César Chávez as an implicit ally of Donald Trump on the issue of border security and immigration policy.
A.J. DELGADO, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: Let me give you the example of the great César Chávez, the great Mexican-American, a legend in our community whether you’re Cuban, Mexican, Colombian, whatever, because César Chávez would be on the border on horseback, watching and pushing out undocumented immigrants crossing the border, why? Because he wanted to help Latinos that were already here.
FÉLIX DE BEDOUT, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: But you think, do you think, what do you think César Chávez would think of Donald Trump’s message?
A.J. DELGADO, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: César Chávez had, basically, the same position as Donald Trump…
FÉLIX DE BEDOUT, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: No…
A.J. DELGADO, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: …in that undocumented immigrants damage those who are working here. They damage Latinos here.
FÉLIX DE BEDOUT, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: It is an explanation that’s rather, how would you say… daring.
A.J. DELGADO, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: No, you can look it up, César Chávez had that position, and it’s not something popular to say, no one wants to admit it.
As Delgado indicates, the historical record shows that Chávez sought to protect his union (United Farm Workers) from unauthorized immigrants crossing to serve as “strikebreakers”. He was so committed to this, that in 1973 his union set up a “wet line” along the U.S.-Mexico border to deter illegal border crossings. By both his actions and his words, Chávez placed himself squarely against illegal immigration.
Univision and de Bedout have studiously ignored this side of Chávez, and instead call it a “daring” interpretation of real historical events.
Perhaps between now and Election Day (and beyond), Univision's viewers will benefit from more discussions like this one, which offered viewers a welcome break from the network's usual one-sided, politically correct narratives on border security and immigration policy.
