Rosario Dawson Calls Out Dolores Huerta on Bernie Sanders’ Immigration Record

Civil rights legend versus Hollywood star. Who you got?

Actress and activist Rosario Dawson is challenging a giant of the civil rights and labor movements, Dolores Huerta, in an open letter published on The Huffington Post.

In a Feb. 19 opinion piece on Medium, Huerta had criticized the immigration platform of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. She attacked the Vermont senator’s voting history on immigration legislation, arguing that even if he has since had a “change of heart,” he’s been largely uninvolved in immigration reform for several decades. Huerta went on to endorse Sanders’ rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, saying the former secretary of state “has realistic plans to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

On Thursday, Dawson hit back. After having introduced Sanders at his groovy Los Angeles rally Wednesday, Dawson was clearly “feeling the Bern.”

Addressing Huerta’s criticisms point by point, Dawson’s letter noted the specific language of many of the laws Huerta referenced, demonstrating how Sanders often had issues with particular sections of bills, or, as an independent, was denied the opportunity to show his support of progressive immigration legislation.

Dawson broke down Clinton’s stance on immigration, providing charts that contrasted the political positions and voting records of each candidate.

“Hillary Clinton’s track record goes directly against what you and every other activist before and after you has fought for: the rights of the people based on the Declaration of Independence and the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Dawson wrote.

Her letter ends on a positive note, with Dawson expressing hope that both sides can continue to debate for the greater good of underprivileged Americans. She argued that Sanders “is transparent and consistent and has been, time and time again, on the right side of history fighting for all of us and our rights.”

Dawson’s letter, which calls for transparency throughout the election season, backs Sanders’ assertion that his immigration voting record has often been misrepresented. Supporting that position is a February article in Salon titled “Hillary Clinton is dead wrong about Bernie Sanders’ immigration record.”

—Posted by Emma Niles