Bernie Sanders says Hillary Clinton turned back on illegal immigrants

MIAMI — Sen. Bernard Sanders hit front-runner Hillary Clinton with allegations Wednesday that she turned her back on illegal immigration children, as the Democratic presidential candidates traded jabs on immigration issues.

In the debate sponsored by Spanish-language Univision, Mr. Sanders said that Mrs. Clinton was on the wrong side when a flood of children fleeing violence in Honduras flooded into the United States.

“They came into this country and I said welcome those children into this country. Secretary Clinton said, ’Send them back,’” said Mr. Sanders.

Mrs. Clinton insisted that she wanted to protect the children from the dangerous trip to the U.S. and spare them from detention in the United States.
“We need to end family detention,” she said.

At several points she stressed her promise that if elected present she will submit comprehensive immigration legislation to Congress within her first 100 days in office.

But Mr. Sanders wasn’t done.

He reminded the networks predominantly Hispanic audience that Mrs. Clinton as a U.S. senator from New York urged her state not to provide drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

“She said don’t do it and New York State still doesn’t do it,” he said. “In Vermont, by the way, I worked with officials and undocumented people in Vermont do have the ability to get drivers licenses.”

His pointed attacks on Mrs. Clinton demonstrated that he was unwilling to cede Hispanic, who have been a major part of the coalition supporting the former first lady, senator and secretary of state.

She responded by accusing Mr. Sanders of voting with hard-line Republicans in the House to vote in favor of indefinite detention of illegal immigrants and in support of the vigilante “Minutemen” group that was patrolling the border in search of illegal immigrant.

Mr. Sanders said his opponent was cherry picking small items out of large bills that he voted for in Congress, which he described as a political trick.