Decoding the Border Law Democrats are Debating
A proposal by Julián Castro would make unauthorized border crossing a civil offense, not a crime.
In the first Democratic presidential debate, Julián Castro, a candidate from Texas who is a former mayor of San Antonio, surprised his rivals with a proposal to repeal a federal law that makes it a crime to cross the border without authorization. Castro said he would make it a civil offense, no longer a crime. He challenged every candidate on the stage to
