AMNA NAWAZ: Well, immigration remains a thorny and top issue with voters this election year.

I spoke earlier with Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from the border state of Texas.

She has unique insight into the problem and ideas about how her party can address it.

Congresswoman, welcome back to the "News Hour."

Thanks for being here.

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR (D-TX): Thanks for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, let's start with your race down in Texas.

You're facing a Republican this fall that you have already defeated twice.

And this is in a district where issues like immigration and the economy remain top of mind for voters.

And these are issues that Republicans really still have the trust advantage, nationally, at least.

How do you win again?

What's the message?

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: Well, thankfully, my community knows me.

I served in local government before I was in Congress.

But we work really hard to share with the community all of the victories that we have achieved under the Biden/Harris administration.

And in an economically disadvantaged community like mine, those dollars make a huge difference.

Major infrastructure investments, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, capping insulin, all of that helps.

And as long as people know that Democrats delivered and they know that we have a story to tell, we have got a great story to tell, people are ready to listen.

AMNA NAWAZ: What are the lessons that the Harris/Walz ticket can learn from how you're able to win in your district, especially on the economy?

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: Yes.

AMNA NAWAZ: And we're talking on a day, we should note, that those jobs numbers since March have been revised downward.

It's really tough.

What's the best message for Harris/Walz to deliver on this issue?

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: Well, they're doing it.

And they're doing a great job in their rallies and in these conversations.

And, obviously, the work that the Biden/Harris campaign was doing out -- the work on the ground, those conversations, the Harris/Walz campaign has been able to capitalize on.

But -- but, really, like, we have to tell the story.

And Vice President Harris has been talking very specifically, not just about what we have accomplished together, but people also want to know what's ahead.

And she's talked about housing.

And, really, it starts with empathy, understanding that people are still hurting.

They still need help.

So she's been talking about housing, about price gouging, about bringing down the cost of prescription drugs.

That's where Americans are feeling a lot of hurt economically and in the pocketbook.

And the response is, we hear you, we see you, we understand, and here's our plan going forward.

AMNA NAWAZ: On immigration specifically, which is I know an issue you have to message on quite a bit and something your community feels in a very front-line way, we have seen border numbers come down dramatically this year.

But I remember speaking with you when folks in your district were on the front lines of a real surge and how it was impacting your community there.

We know part of Vice President Harris' portfolio was to address those root causes, right, down in countries where people were being forced to flee in the first place.

Folks will look at that and say it's only gotten worse in the last few years.

Is that a vulnerability for her?

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: It shouldn't be.

But, according to the polling, it is.

And so you're seeing the Harris/Walz campaign lean in on immigration, on the border, pointing out the fact that Donald Trump essentially has told his party to run away from any solutions.

And, frankly, it's been a decade of that.

We know that, in 2013, in 2018, and obviously, this year, in 2024, there have been efforts in Congress.

And this is a congressional responsibility.

There have been efforts in Congress to address this issue.

And each one of those years, it's been Republicans who have either obstructed or run away from a potential solution.

But, this year, Donald Trump actually embraced that language.

He said, blame me if you get criticized for running away from it.

He said openly, I don't want a solution.

I want the problem.

They exploit the border.

They exploit immigration.

The only person who's serious about policy are the Democrats and specifically Vice President Harris.

AMNA NAWAZ: Specifically, among Latino voters right now, we heard from the CEO of Voto Latino yesterday, Maria Teresa Kumar, that they have seen a surge in support since the ticket switched for the Democrats.

Vice President Harris is still not to the same levels that President Biden was in 2020, though.

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: Yes.

AMNA NAWAZ: And we have seen a drop in enthusiasm in presidential races over about 10 or 12 years now among Latinos for Democrats.

What was fueling that?

How do you get them back?

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: We get them back by meeting them where they are, by listening to them and, as Vice President Harris says, by earning their votes.

I have been going into the battleground states.

I have been to Pennsylvania.

I have been to Wisconsin.

I have been to Nevada.

I have been to Arizona speaking directly with Latino voters, having roundtable conversations, talking to grassroots organizers.

And we, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, have taken Latino voters for granted for too long.

That was not the case with the Biden/Harris campaign.

We started early with Latino voters.

We launched Latinos con Biden and Harris.

And when the switch was made and the torch was passed, Vice President Harris has taken that mantle.

And we are going into these communities, telling them they matter, telling them we care about them, listening to them.

AMNA NAWAZ: You think that outreach will make a difference here?

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: I do.

I really do.

Latinos have said for a long time, and not just about Republicans, not just about Democrats, that they feel taken for granted.

We are not taking them for granted.

So we're going after them.

They have got incredible power.

We have incredible power in the Latino community to influence the outcome of this election.

And we're going directly to them to tell them we care about them and we want them to be with us.

AMNA NAWAZ: Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas, thank you so much for being here.

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: Really appreciate your time.

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR: Appreciate you.