Nevada’s Kihuen says Trump stokes fear of immigrants

By Megan Messerly

Thursday, July 28, 2016 | 3:04 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA — State Sen. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada took his congressional campaign to the national stage today, delivering a version of his traditional stump speech to an audience of thousands of Democrats on the final day of the party’s national convention.

Kihuen, who is running in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, contrasted his story as a Mexican immigrant against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward immigrants.

Kihuen said his story is “the beauty of America,” explaining how he immigrated to the United States when he was 8 years old and how the country gave him the opportunity to learn English, play soccer and work his way through college.

He talked about his mother, a housekeeper at the MGM Grand, saying she has worked “tirelessly without complaint” for 23 years cleaning hotel rooms in Las Vegas.

He gave a shout-out to the Culinary Union — which endorsed Kihuen in his congressional primary and played a significant role in him winning it — for protecting his mother as a worker and one of its members. The Culinary is Nevada’s largest and most politically powerful union.

Members of the Nevada delegation were Kihuen’s most enthusiastic audience members, standing for all of his address and applauding many of his lines.

Kihuen said Trump paints a very different picture of immigrants, characterizing them as rapists and other criminals.

“He must be terrified of me, a Mexican immigrant running for Congress,” Kihuen said to applause from the crowd.

Not only does Trump fear immigrants, Kihuen said, he encourages others to be afraid, too.

Kihuen pushed back against Trump, saying “todos somos soñadores,” or, “we are all dreamers.” He said immigrants dream of more than citizenship. They, like all Americans, want a good education, a clean environment, safe streets and a fair economy, he said.

He said Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has also “spent her life fighting for our dreams.”

“Time to reject the fears of Trump, time to take back Congress, time to elect Hillary Clinton and time to turn our dreams into reality,” Kihuen said.

In has race for Congress, Kihuen will face Republican incumbent Rep. Cresent Hardy, who won the seat in 2014, ousting Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford.

The 4th Congressional District covers the northern portion of Clark County as well as part of Lyon County and all of Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye and White Pine counties.