Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with his Hispanic Advisory Council at Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., August 20, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Source: Time
One of the key leaders listed as part of Donald Trump’s new Hispanic Advisory Council has not actually agreed to the role, citing concerns over Trump’s lack of an adequate immigration policy, even though the official announcement on the Republican National Committee website touted his name. When the council first met in New York on Saturday, Dallas pastor Mark Gonzales was not invited and did not attend.
“I wasn’t aware that I was on any list in that capacity, officially,” Gonzales says. “We are waiting for more details, we want to see what he will do on immigration. … Our stance remains the same, we are willing to serve in that capacity if that takes place.”
Gonzales is the founder of the Hispanic Prayer Network and the Hispanic Action Network, which represent some 10,000 Latino evangelical churches in the U.S. During the 2008 presidential campaign, he chaired the National Hispanic Advisory Council for Senator John McCain. Earlier this August, Gonzales told TIME that he had been invited to be part of Trump’s Hispanic advisory council, but he qualified that he would only consider the position once he had learned Trump’s plan for immigration, in particular how Trump plans handle the undocumented population currently living in the United States.
On Saturday, the Republican National Committee released a statement on its website naming Gonzales as one of two-dozen Hispanic business, faith, and civic leaders on the new National Hispanic Advisory Council for Trump. The move attempts to counter Trump’s unfavorable rating among Hispanics nationwide, which hovers around 80%. The statement specifically highlighted that key Latino evangelical leaders with large networks are ready to act on Trump’s behalf: “Many of these faith leaders represent hundreds of thousands of Hispanic evangelicals nationwide concerned about the direction of the nation, and are prepared to relay Mr. Trump’s message of ending the failed status quo to their congregations and media audiences,” it said.
Categories: America, Immigration, The Muslim Times, USA