Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, is perhaps the only Utahn to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week. She told the crowd America’s educators are with Hillary Clinton.
Lily Eskelsen Garcia is the first Latina to lead the NEA, which is the nation’s largest labor union. She was also the first Hispanic to run for Congress in Utah. Garcia said too many students are bringing their stress to school, telling teachers they worry their families might be deported.
“Hillary Clinton believes in keeping families together,” Garcia said. “She believes in our dreamers. She believes that educators should be focused on education, not deportation.”
Garcia was quick to distinguish Clinton from her Republican challenger on this issue.
“Donald Trump sees immigrants as criminals, as drug dealers, as rapists,” Garcia says. “He says he’d round up families and deport them. He’ll build a wall. We’re better than that. Our kids deserve better than that.”
Garcia was among five labor leaders who took the stage Monday.
