Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders defended undocumented immigrants against the ongoing anti-immigrant rhetoric during a Latino roundtable in the battleground state of Iowa.

Sanders acknowledged the anti-immigrant rhetoric by Republican presidential candidates, namely businessman Donald Trump. He denounced the GOP field for the "mean and degrading" statements, which included Trump's proposals for mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, end of birthright citizenship and end of sanctuary city policies.

Sanders said presidential candidates have the right to disagree on immigration reform but "should not stoop to racism and demagoguery to win votes." Sanders refers to Trump defense of the term "anchor baby," often viewed as a derogatory phrase referring to U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. Despite being told that individuals are offended by the term "anchor baby," Trump dismissed the claims, citing political correctness. Trump has also called Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "criminals," although "some, I assume, are good people."

"This country has experienced racism for hundreds of years. I would have hoped that by the year 2015 leading candidates for president like Mr. Trump would campaign on their ideas as to how they can address our serious problems, and not by trying to divide the country with racist and demagogic appeals," Sanders said in a statement.

"Clearly Trump is scapegoating the Hispanic community. Immigrants are not responsible for the disappearing American middle class, the Wall Street collapse brought on by huge financial institutions' greed and illegal behavior, the war in Iraq, income inequality or climate change," added the Independent Vermont senator.

While a couple of Republican presidential candidates have proposed their respective immigration reform plan, specifically Trump and Jeb Bush, Sanders reiterated that he has long supported comprehensive immigration reform, noting his approval of the 2013 "S.744 - Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act." S. 744 passed the senate and support from Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham. Fellow GOP presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Rand Paul voted against the immigration reform bill. The legislation, however, was never picked up in the House of Representatives for a debate and vote.

"It is incomprehensible that the U.S. House has not yet taken up the comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Senate with my support," Sanders said. "We need legislation which takes 11 million undocumented people living in the United States out of the shadows and puts them on a path to citizenship."

Fellow Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley have also supported a pathway to citizenship. Clinton and O'Malley have hosted roundtable discussions to discuss immigration. Democrats have voiced their support of issuing another executive order to advance immigration reform if Congress continues to stall on the issue.

During an event in Las Vegas on May 5, Clinton said "If Congress continues to refuse to act, as president, I would do everything possible under the law to go even further. There are more people like many parents of DREAMers and others with deep ties and contributions to our communities who deserve a chance to stay, and I will fight for them."

During a New York City roundtable discussion on July 15, O'Malley said, "I would use executive action, to the fullest extent allowable of my authority as president of the United States, to push Congress to pass comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform because that is best for the people of the United States of America."

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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