2020 Dem Julian Castro calls for illegal immigration to be treated as a civil and non-criminal offense

The Democratic presidential candidate, Julian Castro, Tuesday called for illegal immigration to no longer be treated as a criminal case.

"The truth is that immigrants seeking refuge in our country do not pose a threat to national security. Migration should not be a criminal justice problem. It is time to put an end to this draconian policy and to resume the treatment of immigration as a civil problem and not a criminal one, "he said.

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Castro, who made his opposition to President Trump's immigration policies the cornerstone of his campaign, published his proposal on Medium, which he says is a call for a policy that "puts people first. ".

Although this expression is common in the democratic world, Castro is one of the first to give substance to the question and to clarify his vision of an immigration policy. In this document, he said he would reverse the travel ban imposed on some countries, reducing the number of refugees and what he calls "unnecessary spending for a useless wall".

He also joined the other Democrats in demanding a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants living "peacefully" in the country, as well as protective measures against the expulsion of illegal immigrants illegally brought into the country. country while they were children.

With respect to the application of the rules, it calls for halving the number of applications related to immigration and customs (ICE), while maintaining investigations of trafficking and terrorism, while reallocating immigration law enforcement services to other agencies. This reflects growing Democrat pressure since last year for the removal of the agency.

The proposal comes at a time when the Trump administration is declaring a crisis at the border, with historic levels of crossings overwhelming the system. Last week, the State Department announced that it would reduce direct aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, from which much of the migration flows originate. Castro, however, said that such an approach would only make the problem worse.

Instead, he called for a "21st Century Marshall Plan for Central America", referring to the post-war economic assistance plan that was injecting billions into the region. ;Europe.

"Investing in our southern neighbors boosts US economic growth, strengthens global relations, and helps ensure that all citizens can find the security and stability they want in their home country," says publication.

Castro is likely to return to the subject of immigration later this month when he has to hold a rally in his hometown of San Antonio, at the same time Trump is expected to travel to Texas for events fundraising.

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His plan shows not only the importance of immigration as a theme of the 2020 Democratic primary race, but also the way the party leans further left on the issue.

In addition to calls for the abolition of the ICE, a number of Democrats – such as former representative Beto O'Rourke – have even called for the demise of existing border barriers.

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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., As part of her call for a "comprehensive immigration reform," suggested that she wants to extend social security to those who live illegally in the country.

"First, we need a comprehensive immigration reform," she said last month in Iowa. "If you are in this country now, you must have the right to contribute to social security, pay your taxes, contribute to the local school system and have a way to access citizenship. must arrive. "

Associated Press contributed to this report.