Immigrant Speakers at the RNC Defend Their Own Backgrounds — And Vilify Others

“We’re losing our country,” Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao said of immigrants “flooding” the border.

Hung Cao speaking during the second day of the Republican National Convention.

Hung Cao’s family fled Vietnam after the war. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Immigrants and children of immigrants in the GOP who spoke at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night had a point of clarification: They’re not the ones who the party keeps warning Americans about.

Most speeches on the second night of the RNC, whether from a candidate or an activist, depicted immigrants flooding the borders under Democrats — “Biden-vasion,” Kari Lake called it. The night’s theme, Make America Safe Once Again, manifested in stories of immigrants committing crimes.

The rhetoric, emboldened by Donald Trump for years, has put immigrants and children of immigrants in the party in an awkward position — one several of them contended with during their speeches.