Earlier tonight, Fox News aired the first Republican debate in Ohio, featuring ten leading Presidential candidates, including Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, and Marco Rubio.
As many speculated, immigration was a huge topic of discussion, and many immigration advocates gathered at watch parties across the country to view the debate together.
We asked advocates from one of these watch parties in Cleveland, Ohio, to record their immediate reactions to the debate in this special video blog post.
Watch the videos below:
Luis: “I think the Republican candidates speaking right now have some interesting ideas, but what I’m interested is immigration reform, and I don’t think any of them have any solutions. I think President Obama has a good immigration plan.”
When asked about Donald Trump’s debate performance: “I think Donald Trump is egotistical and only thinks about himself. He doesn’t have any solutions for this country.”
Daniel: “Well, first thanks for giving me a chance to express my opinion, and what I think and believe about what the Republican candidates said. Some said some important things, like Bush. I didn’t like Rubio, well, he said immigrants…we have to get them out of the country. To me…that’s stupid.”
Business-owner Moncho expressed frustration at anti-immigrant candidates like Trump, who spew rhetoric against immigrants while simultaneously benefitting from their labor:
“[Immigration] is very important. Many politicians who become President..or as candidates, offer and offer everything, and then they get there, and they forget the community.”
“The community needs legalization…I’ll say a name, Donald Trump…after they demolish his buildings, his companies, his golf courses, then they tell them to leave. It shouldn’t be like that.”
