U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, raised a furor among Latino civil rights advocates during a press conference over the weekend by blaming illegal immigrants for causing certain wildfires in Arizona.
“There is substantial evidence that some of these fires have been caused by people who have crossed our border illegally,” the former presidential candidate said, leading many to believe he was referring to the Wallow Fire that has become the largest in the history of the state. “The answer to that part of the problem is to get a secure border.”
By making such controversial comments without presenting the evidence he claimed to possess, McCain sparked a firestorm of controversy and drew the ire of Latino advocates.
“It’s easier to fan the flames of intolerance, especially in Arizona,” Randy Parraz, a Democratic senatorial candidate who lost to McCain during last year’s election, told reporters, adding that his former opponent's comments were “careless and reckless.”
Angelo Falcon, the president of the National Institute for Latino Policy, echoed Parraz’s sentiments in an email sent to CNN.
“The degree of irresponsible political pandering by Senator McCain has no limits,” he wrote. “With the lack of evidence, he might as well also blame aliens from outer space for the fires.”
McCain’s spokeswoman, Brooke Buchanan, released a statement Monday to clarify the politician’s remarks, saying that he was referring to wildfires along the Arizona-Mexico border.
“The facts are clear,” she said. “For years, federal, state, and local officials have stated that smuggles and illegal immigrants have caused fires on our southern border.”
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