MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Immigration

Interview

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REP. STEVEN HORSFORD, (D) NEVADA: Well, as you rightfully point out Dr. Dyson, that this issue is about elected officials who unfortunately stand by individuals like Cliven Bundy who are actually lawbreakers. And they are not folk heroes who should be held up as some type of patriots.

And that`s why I`m implore, public officials throughout this country to not be part of the rhetoric that is against out federal government. These are federal officers who are trying to do their job according to the law. And there`s a process that they`re following and elected officials and other people should not be inciting our militia to stand against their federal government.

DYSON: Well stated. Do you think legal actions should be taking against Bundy and his supporters?

HORSFORD: Yes, I support Mr. Bundy as any other American who has broken federal laws or who has refused to pay upwards of a million dollars in federal fines and fees to the federal government to be held accountable. And the FBI is now doing an investigation of Mr. Bundy and others. And it`s now moved from a civil issue to a criminal one, and he should be held accountable like anyone else who has broken federal law.

DYSON: Well, we know issue is a tinderbox, but do you think the scene in Murrieta had anything to do with racism?

HORSFORD: You know, what is frustrating when I watched the video in Murrieta, is again, those federal offices who were driving their bus were taking these undocumented individual, doing their job according to federal law to a detention center. They weren`t taking them to release them to the public, into the community. They were taking them to a detention center.

And for people to stand in the way of federal officers, law enforcement officials who were commissioned to do tier job, those individuals are breaking the law and should be held accountable.

DYSON: But what about this talk that Hannity had featured last night on his show that there are militias headed to the border. Do you think -- are you worried about that?

HORSFORD: Yeah, I`m worried anytime this armed militia are being incited to come and take up arms against their federal government. It`s what I saw happen I`m my district where we had some 200 armed separatist. I don`t even give them a credit of calling them militia, because that is a term that should be reserved for our men and women and our military.

There are arm separatist. There`s a history, they are against the federal governments and they are trying to take stands against the federal government, against federal law. And that`s what`s happening not just in my district but in places across the country.

DYSON: Well, given what the President`s has state (ph), do you support his plan to fix the border crisis?

HORSFORD: Well, I think the President`s plan is a good step. But to be clear we have a proposal that passed the House Homeland on Security Committee unanimously. It`s called the McCaul-Thompson bill that would address the full needs of our border security. And I think that that`s the proposal that the president should take action on, while also adding the humanitarian component so that we can move these children out of detention and into more appropriate settings where they can have their rights and due process and ultimately, whether they`re allowed to stay here on asylum or whether they get deported back. Under the law, those individual should be afforded that right.

DYSON: Well, congressman, you know, obviously it appears that the Republicans are intent more on trashing the President than facing the border crisis. What do you think about that?

HORSFORD: We have many people here in Washington. House Republican Speaker Boehner. It`s not that they don`t like the President`s policies they just don`t like the President. And so, any time the President makes a proposal they`re automatically against it. We need Congress to take action based on what is necessary and what`s right. We as members of Congress have a responsibility to act and it`s time for them to stop blaming the president.

This was a law that was passed under George Bush. Many of these members voted for this law that they now don`t like, the president following. And it`s time for them to come to the table, work with us, offer some more compassionate, thoughtful, and bipartisan proposal so that we can both address our border security needs and address the humanitarian needs of these children who are stuck in very violent and dangerous situations from their home countries.

DYSON: All right. Congressman Steven Horsford thanks for your time tonight.

HORSFORD: Thank you Dr. Dyson. Good to be on.

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