Hillary Clinton was briefly interrupted by a heckler during her award presentation at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s gala Thursday.
The front-runner for the Democratic nomination did not address the individual but Roselyn Sanchez, the actress and singer emceeing the event, said she didn’t know how politicians were able to keep talking while they were being yelled at.
“That was real intense, my Puerto Rican temper would be like ‘excuse me?’” Sanchez said after Clinton finished presenting her award.
The protester, from United We Dream Action, was protesting private-prison corporations' donations to Clinton's campaign.
Juan Carlos Ramos issued a statement through United We Dream about why he protested.
“Our message to Hillary Clinton is simple: immigrant youth do not trust you. It is time to drop the prison money and stand with our community — you can’t have it both ways,” he said. “Each dollar of private prison money accepted by the Clinton campaign undermines her pro-immigrant policy promises, and our community will not be fooled.”
“Each time Hillary Clinton addresses a Latino audience she gives the same empty promises she won’t and can’t keep, just like President Obama," Ruth Guerra, the Director of Hispanic Media at the Republican National Committee, said in a statement following the event. "Just this week Hillary flip-flopped on several issues including immigration and free trade, reinforcing that she will do or say anything to get elected.”
Clinton was at the event to present her friend, celebrity chef José Andrés, with a 2015 Medallion of Excellence Award.
"I am grateful to Jose Andrés for his courage to stand up against hateful immigrant rhetoric,” Clinton said, “and his margaritas,” she continued.
Clinton was referring to an $8 million counter-lawsuit by Andrés after Donald Trump sued the chef for breach-of-contract after Andrés pulled out of a contract over Trump's controversial comments about illegal immigrants.
On Thursday, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Marlyand Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore spoke at the CHCI presidential forum. They were the only 2016 candidates to accept an invitation.
Despite her absence at the forum, Clinton elicited widespread applause and chanting during the awards ceremony, where she continued to drive her message of a Hispanic-friendly candidate.
"The U.S. needs — and let me stress that — we need the contributions of Latinos in every capacity,” she said. "As you know too well many people in our country don’t see how vital Latinos are.”
"That gap … that's a problem when a leading Republican candidate for president says that immigrants from Mexico are rapists and drug dealers,” Clinton said.
A recent Noticias Univision poll found that 68 percent of Hispanics polled said they had a favorable opinion of Clinton, compared to 68 percent of Hispanics who did not know or had not formed an opinion of Sanders.
Though physically absent from the conference, Trump was brought up repeatedly throughout the conference. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) joked that a Trump pinata would be available after the speeches.