Remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention – Aug. 21, 2024

Buenas noches. Like countless Texans, I grew up going back and forth across the border from El Paso to Ciudad Juarez. My family would shop, have dinner, go to the doctor, pick up medicines. The border is my beloved home, the place where my children grew up. Forget what you hear on the news. I'm from there. When it comes to the border, hear me when I say, you know nothing, Donald Trump.

He and his Republican imitators see the border and immigration as a political opportunity to exploit instead of an issue to address. Congress hasn't passed comprehensive immigration reform in nearly four decades. The three times they tried, Republicans blocked legislation that would have funded border security and created a more humane immigration system. They are not serious people.

You know who is serious? Kamala Harris. I met the vice president when she visited El Paso. I saw firsthand how she engaged with law enforcement, migrants, and human rights advocates. She was curious. She asked questions. She listened, and she didn't care if the cameras were on. Most of all, she recognized that the situation at the border is complicated, as filled with opportunities as it is with challenges.

All Republicans have to offer is demonization and bluster. Democrats have solutions.

With Kamala Harris as president, we can live up to the promise of America. We can strengthen legal pathways to immigration. We can secure our borders and we can. Treat with dignity those who seek a better future within them.

PBS NewsHour. “WATCH: Rep. Veronica Escobar speaks at 2024 Democratic National Convention | 2024 DNC Night 3.” YouTube video, 2:22. Aug. 21, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvHP0in28Y4