DENVER – On Monday, the Colorado Democratic National Committee delegation sent a letter to the chairman of the state party calling for the “public disapproval” of freshman US Senator John Hickenlooper.
On Thursday, the senator voted in favor of a non-binding amendment that would prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving stimulus payments.
The non-binding nature of the amendment means it is unlikely to have any impact on future incentive plans: Federal law prevents undocumented immigrants from receiving incentive payments because they don’t have a Social Security number.
Joseph Salazar, a former state representative and DNC member, said, non-binding or not, that the vote sent the wrong message.
“We never thought he would go this far because this amendment went so far and deep down a xenophobic path,” said Salazar. “You are not throwing communities under a bus so you can try to win the favor of well-known xenophobic and racist senators. You are not drawing their favor and throwing communities under a bus.”
The non-binding amendment was passed 58-42, with eight Democrats joining the Republicans.
The Colorado Department of ACLU issued a letter with 300 signatures stating that Hickenlooper’s non-binding voice sent the message, “I only care about you when I campaign.”
“It was a vote against immigrants,” said Denise Maes, ACLU Colorado public policy director.
Hickenlooper virtually met with leaders in the immigrant community to discuss his vote. Maes said after the meeting that she was still not clear why Hickenlooper voted that way.
“I think its non-binding nature was puzzling, like why? Why choose an anti-immigrant initiative if it meant nothing?” Maes said. “I think we are still disappointed with the vote, and we wanted to let the senator know we would be watching his future votes.”
Maes said Hickenlooper seemed receptive to their feedback and concerns.
Colorado Jobs with Justice was one of 300 immigrant attorneys who signed ACLU Colorado’s letter. The coalition advocates for workers’ rights, said Executive Director Pamela Resendiz.
“This vote seemed to be such an easy decision for him without taking into account the stories of voters he represents,” Resendiz said.
A spokesman for Hickenlooper stressed that the senator remains committed to a comprehensive immigration form. The following statement was provided:
“Immigrant communities and undocumented workers are particularly at the forefront of our economy – now more than ever. I recognize how this vote has distorted that important fact and fed dangerous and harmful stories about the undocumented community. We have had several productive conversations about this and I remain committed to working together to finally find a comprehensive solution to our broken immigration system, including a path to citizenship. ”
– Senator John Hickenlooper
Her. John Hickenlooper
Denver7 reached out to the Colorado Democratic Party for comment and did not hear back.