U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez became the latest critic to lash into Donald Trump's controversial plan to combat illegal immigration, saying the Republican presidential frontrunner's proposals will never be put into action
TRENTON -- U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez became the latest critic to lash into Donald Trump's controversial plan to combat illegal immigration, saying the Republican presidential frontrunner's proposals will never be put into action.
"Let me say now: There will be no Berlin-style walls to divide us," Menendez (D-N.J.) said during a speech Sunday celebrating the sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Month at his alma mater, Union City High School, according to video posted by local news outlet Hudson County View.
"There will be no mass deportations," he added, drawing loud applause from the crowd. "There will be no denying our United States-born citizens to their constitutionally protected rights. Not now, not ever."
Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, did not call out Trump by name. But his comments were clearly criticizing the real estate mogul's call to deport the more than 11 million immigrants living without authorization in the U.S., build a wall across the country's border with Mexico, and end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to unauthorized immigrants.
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Menendez added that "we've hit a new low" in the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, "with extraordinarily hateful rhetoric that diminishes Latino contributions and demonizes our community."
He even used Trump's campaign slogan -- "Make America Great Again" -- to praise Latinos and people of other heritages for their contributions to the U.S.
"We are here to celebrate who we are, what we have given, what we have sacrificed, and what we have contributed actually, in reality, to make American great again," the senator said. "Not just as an empty political slogan or a bumper-sticker proclamation, but as a people."
Trump, a former Atlantic City casino magnate, has stressed that illegal immigration is hurting the U.S.'s economy and job market and has said the nation needs a new system for accepting immigrants. He said he will work out a plan to allow the "good" immigrants to come back into the country after they've been deported.
But he has also drawn fire for saying that "rapists" and "killers" are entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico. And critics have noted that his deportation plan will cost billions of dollars.
Despite the controversy, Trump continues to lead his rivals for the GOP nod -- including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- in the polls.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
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