Several of Donald Trump's Latino advisors resign after his immigration speech

Kurtis Lee

SEPT. 1, 2016 

Donald Trump has held photo ops with his National Hispanic Advisory Council and in recent weeks boasted about his increasing support from this crucial voting demographic. 

But that was before his speech on immigration this week. 

On Thursday, several who sit on the council announced their resignation, citing Trump's refusal to truly listen to their views on immigration reform. 

Jacob Monty, a Houston-based immigration lawyer who was a member of the council, said in a Facebook post that he gave Trump a plan that would "improve border security, remove hardened criminal aliens and most importantly, give work authority to millions of honest, hard-working immigrants" in the country. 

"He rejected that," wrote Monty, announcing his resignation from the council after Trump's speech. "So I must reject him."

In his immigration address Wednesday, Trump put forward several hard-line proposals, including new limits and entry criteria for legal immigrants, while also reaffirming a pledge to deny legal status to anyone who remains in the country illegally.  

CBS News reported Thursday that 15 of nearly two dozen members on the council had resigned. 

Ramiro Pena, a Texas pastor on the council, told Politico that Trump's speech had potentially cost him the election. Pena added that he'd have to reconsider being part of a "scam."

Alfonso Aguilar, who oversees Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, is not on the council but was another prominent surrogate of Trump's who backed off his support Thursday.

“For the last two months, he said he was not going to deport people without criminal records," Aguilar said on CNN. "And then we heard yesterday, and I was totally disappointed — not surprised, but disappointed — and slightly misled, because he gave the impression and the campaign gave the impression until yesterday morning that he was going to deal with the undocumented in a compassionate way.”

Trump's remarks came after he visited Mexico earlier in the day, offering subdued remarks alongside the country’s president. During the visit, Trump noted that he has "tremendous feeling for Mexican Americans."

The comments, a clear shift in tone, were far from his invective this election cycle when he denounced Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and drug runners in his first campaign speech 

Last month, Trump held a roundtable meeting with members of the council, where they discussed creating jobs and the Republican presidential nominee's plans on immigration. 

Among those who attended was Colorado state Rep. Clarice Navarro, who said she left feeling optimistic about Trump. 

"I've always felt he does care about the Latino community, and now it's on us to get him elected," she said at the time. 

On Thursday, she could not be reached for comment.

Florida Pastor Alberto Delgado said on MSNBC he would remain a member of the council.

“This is the plan he has, so we have to work with what he has and we must try soften that projection,” he said in reference to Trump's combative tone.