DENVER – On Monday, the delegation of the Democratic National Committee of Colorado sent a letter to the president of the state party requesting the “public censorship” of the American senator freshman John Hickenlooper.
On Thursday, the senator voted in favor of a non-binding amendment that would prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving incentive payments.
The non-binding nature of the amendment means that it is unlikely to have any impact on future incentive plans: federal law prevents undocumented immigrants from receiving incentive payments because they do not have social security numbers.
Joseph Salazar, a former state representative and a member of the DNC, said the vote was not binding or not, sending the wrong message.
“I never thought it would go that far, because this amendment went so far and deep on a xenophobic path,” Salazar said. “Don’t throw communities under one bus, so you can try to favor well-known xenophobic and racist senators. Don’t favor them and throw communities under a bus.”
The non-binding amendment went from 58 to 42, with eight Democrats joining the Republicans.
The ACLU chapter in Colorado released a letter with 300 signatures stating that Hickenlooper’s non-binding vote sent the message, “I only care about you when I campaign.”
“It was a vote against immigrants,” said Denise Maes, ACLU Colorado’s director of public policy.
Hickenlooper practically met with leaders in the immigrant community to discuss his vote. Maes said after the meeting that it was still unclear why Hickenlooper voted the way he did.
“I think its non-binding nature was puzzling, why? Why be part of an anti-immigrant initiative if it means nothing?” Maes said. “I think we are disappointed with the vote and we wanted to let the senator know that we will be paying attention to his future votes.”
Maes said Hickenlooper seemed receptive to their feedback and concerns.
Colorado Jobs with Justice was one of 300 immigrant lawyers who signed the ACLU Colorado letter. The coalition advocates for workers’ rights, according to executive director Pamela Resendiz.
“This vote seems to be such an easy decision for him, without him taking into account the stories of the voters he represents,” Resendiz said.
A Hickenlooper spokesman pointed out that the senator remains committed to formulating comprehensive immigration. The following statement was provided:
“Immigrant communities and undocumented workers are especially at the forefront of our economy – now more than ever. I recognize how this vote distorted that important fact and fueled dangerous and harmful narratives about the undocumented community. We have had several productive conversations about this and remain committed to working together to finally achieve a comprehensive solution to our faulty immigrant system, including a path to citizenship. ”
– Senator John Hickenlooper
It is. John Hickenlooper
Denver7 contacted the Colorado Democratic Party for comment and did not hear.