MSNBC Panel: Exec Amnesty Opposition Motivated Partially By Racism

Democratic Strategist Jamal Simmons and writer and speaker Sayu Bhojwani argued that opposition to the president’s executive action on immigration is at least partially based on racism on Saturday’s “Melissa’s Harris-Perry” on MSNBC.

“This 26-state lawsuit [against the president’s executive action] also includes five states that have the whitest population in our country, including Maine. What does Maine really even care about what’s happening around immigration since such a small portion of its population is immigrant? And to some extent, I think there is a general concern that we do need to have as liberals about where immigration and issues of people of color fit into our broader agenda” Bhojwani stated.

Later, Simmons continued this line of argumentation, saying “we’re talking about Latin American immigration. Because, I grew up in Michigan, the place is overrun with Canadians. Nobody is worried about those Canadians. Nobody’s worried about the waitresses — Eastern European waitresses in New York City nightclubs who are overstaying. Those aren’t the issues. People are talking about the fact that they are concerned about having so many other Hispanics in the country. And that is what we have to sort of grapple with. There’s a racial element to this that Republicans don’t want to have to deal with.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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