Former Senator Rick Santorum Tells A Dreamer To Leave America; Ana Navarro Interrupts, Defends The Undocumented

A town hall event called "The Messy Truth" hosted by Van Jones of CNN last Tuesday featured former Senator Rick Santorum and Republican strategist Ana Navarro. Santorum ignited a strong argument between him and Navarro, and later triggering netizens, after he advised a Dreamer to leave the US as a solution to potential deportation. 

Upon discussing one of the sensitive issues on the elimination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by President-elect Donald Trump, Santorum responds thoughtlessly to the question of a Mexican "Dreamer." It's a term used to describe undocumented people brought to the United States - which ignites the reaction of the audience and fellow republican guest, Navarro herself.

During the event, Jones calls on Elizabeth Vilchis, who was brought to the US by her parents at the age of seven, and now a mechanical engineer; hence a Dreamer. She comes up and asks advice from the former senator regarding her future, considering the fact that she has already built a life and has been serving the country for almost a decade. "I stand to lose all the work that I've done if the new administration decides to end DACA.", expresses the young undocumented lady, who is concerned about the possibility of losing her career and worse, deportation, as reported by The Daily Good.

Santorum, however, after starting his response with a story about his undocumented father, addresses Vilchis saying, "You have the ability to go to any other country right now." His statement implies that she could leave the US as a solution to her dilemma and of many.

He is then interrupted by Navarro, who, in turn, thanks Vilchis for the contributions she is making to the country. "This is your country, no matter what he says, no matter what anybody else says," emphasizing that Vilchis belong to America. Santorum is further heard to articulate the words "That's not what the law says" amidst Navarro's speech.

Not long after, people expressed their dismay on Santorum's regards. Several comments were posted on social media, including Navarro's added stand point.

Yes. Santorum's response made me cringe. I am confident most Americans will see ppl like @LizVilchis love our country and make it better. https://t.co/6th910N1V6

— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) December 8, 2016

DACA is a federal program instituted by President Barrack Obama, which allows undocumented individuals to be able to work in the US. During a CBS' "60 Minutes" interview with the newly elected president last November, Trump reveals that he is planning to deport two to three million undocumented immigrants starting January. This highly alarmed the affected individuals, especially the youth.