Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton decried Donald Trump's deportation plan as a threat to American values and told an audience of about 300 union members in Las Vegas that it's time to unite to keep the Republican candidate out of the White House.
Clinton delivered her speech Thursday at a United Food & Commercial Workers conference at the Mirage casino. She urged an increase in the minimum wage and equal pay for women, and defended herself against Trump accusations that she's "playing the woman card."
"If fighting for equal pay, paid family leave and affordable child care is playing the woman card, then deal me in," she said to applause. "I happen to believe that's a winning hand."
The union endorsed Clinton in January. Her stop in Las Vegas is sandwiched between campaign events in Orange County on Wednesday and San Jose, California later Thursday ahead of that state's June 7 primary.
Clinton tailored her speech to the Las Vegas audience by praising workers at Trump's Las Vegas hotel for their effort to unionize. She also criticized right-to-work policies, in place in Nevada, that prevent mandatory membership at unionized workplaces.
"Right to work is wrong for workers and wrong for America," she said.
Clinton told attendees that the coming election was "make-or-break," painting an ominous picture about what a "deportation force" proposed by Trump might look like. She said it could include police or paramilitary officers raiding homes and workplaces and splitting families apart.
"We all would be at risk to what that would do to our values," she said. "We must reject this wrong and dangerous vision for America."
The public appearance was Clinton's first in Nevada since February, when the state held caucuses that Clinton won.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
