HUD Secretary Castro on Ivana Trump immigration comments

By Sarah B. Boxer

In response to Ivana Trump’s recent comments that immigrants are welcome in America in part because they “vacuum our living rooms and clean up after us,” Julián Castro, secretary of Housing and Urban Development told Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric: “The great American story is the story of immigrants.”

Castro spoke of his grandmother coming to the U.S. from Mexico and said “we need talented, smart, hardworking immigrants” and leadership that “handles this sensibly, not by building a wall.”

Castro went on to say that Donald Trump is “not prepared” to be president, saying Trump “has not put the kind of time in to really understand what leadership, or the presidency, is about.”

Noting the strides the U.S. has made over the centuries in terms of equality movements, Castro asked: “Why would we ever turn the clock back, especially to someone who clearly does not even get the basic functions of our government? Or understand the first thing about our relationship with countries around the world. And has shown himself so unprepared to be president. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Couric pressed Castro on whether he’d be interested in serving as Hillary Clinton’s vice president. “My hope is that whoever does get asked will take that decision very seriously. I don’t believe that’s going to be me,” he responded.

Castro also discussed a new HUD initiative to extend affordable broadband access to families living in government-assisted housing. He stressed that one in four American families still don’t access the Internet at home, particularly lower-income families with children.