WASHINGTON — Congressmen Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen) announced Thursday they will boycott the presidential inauguration.
Gonzalez’s Chief of Staff Jose Borjon said the congressman had planned to attend but decided not to because president-elect Donald Trump failed to appoint any Hispanics to his cabinet.
Vela’s staff gave the same reason but in a Facebook post Vela stated that a group of 40 migrant students from his district who are visiting Washington were called “beaners” and “wetbacks” by inauguration attendees Wednesday.
One student was spit on, Vela said.
The students are a part of the Weslaco ISD Migrant Education Program and are in the nation’s capital for a week with the Close Up Foundation. Participants attend seminars, visit landmarks and visit their representatives. The group is also scheduled to attend the Presidential Inauguration and Inaugural Parade.
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