WASHINGTON, D.C.— Yesterday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) filed a resolution that would declare Cesar Chavez’s Birthday on March 31 as “National Border Control Day.” In response, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement:

“Rep Gohmert’s attack on the legacy of Cesar Chavez deserves widespread condemnation and is a pathetic attempt at revisionist history. The true legacy of Cesar Chavez is one of dedication, social justice, and humility. It’s a story of an individual standing up against corporate giants and putting his life on the line to fight for what’s right. Gohmert’s distortion of this legacy is not only a slap in the face to the millions he inspired, but undermines the real contributions he made to improving justice for farmworkers.

“Speaker Ryan must reject this resolution and my Republican colleagues must condemn this attempt to hijack the legacy of a civil rights icon. Instead of peddling conspiracy theories and attempting to turn Cesar Chavez into a right-wing immigration hawk, I encourage Rep. Gohmert to take a history course and learn more about the true advocacy efforts of the farmworker justice movement.”