Bakersfield.com - Huerta Calls Out Valadao on Immigration-Related Vote

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By James Burger

Here we go.

Emilio Huerta, one of two Democratic challengers in this year's 21st Congressional District race, has fired a broadside at incumbent Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, over his vote on an immigration-related House resolution.

The resolution enables Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to file a friend of the court brief in support of Texas in a court case brought by the Obama administration against the state as part of an ongoing dispute over the president's executive action to implement immigration reform.

Those executive actions -- an expansion of the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and creation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program -- granted limited protections from deportation for children brought into the United States while they were minors and the undocumented parents of their citizen children who were born in the United States.

Texas was one of several states that sued to block the executive action.

Huerta, in a press release Friday, called Valadao's vote a "a slap in the face to our valley communities, especially for the many hard-working farmworker valley Latinos and for those across the country who have already filed legal paperwork for permanent residency under DACA and DAPA."

Valadao's team pointed to his statement from Thursday defending his vote as a blow not against immigrants but against the overreach of President Obama's executive powers.

"Like all those advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, I, too, am frustrated. I am frustrated with the divisive rhetoric, the political games, and the inability for either side to come together to do what's best for our nation," Valadao wrote. "And while I firmly support comprehensive immigration reform, attempting to repair this system through quick fixes and far-reaching executive orders will not achieve real, lasting solutions."

Huerta called that stance a smokescreen.

"David Valadao's vote clearly places himself on the side of anti-immigrants like Donald Trump and against the children of hard working valley farm workers. Valadao and fellow Congressional Republicans are trying to disguise their vote as support for the Constitution, but they aren't fooling anyone; this is about pushing an anti-Latino, anti-immigrant agenda which only serves to divide America," Huerta wrote.

Valadao has, during his time in Congress, taken a firm stance in favor of immigration reform and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

In 2014, during the last election, Democrats pointed to more anti-immigration votes in the California Assembly as proof that Valadao was only adopting the stance to protect himself from political fallout from voters in the heavily Latino and Democratic 21st Congressional District.

But the argument didn't seem to gain traction with voters, who re-elected Valadao solidly.

Immigration is likely to be a hot issue in the 21st District race. Not only is it hugely important to Kern County's west side congressional district but Huerta is the son of Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union.

A second Democrat, Daniel Parra of Fowler, is also running to represent the 21st District. The top two finishers in June, regardless of party, will face each other in November.

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