Eight years ago, Jamiel Shaw Jr., 17, was walking home when two men jumped out of a car and approached him. When he failed to respond quickly enough when asked what gang he belonged to, they shot him, police said according to the L.A. Times.
In 2012, Pedro Espinoza, 23, an undocumented immigrant and member of the 18th Street Gang, was sentenced to death for his role in the killing.
That outcome was not enough for Jamiel Shaw Sr., who blames his son's death on lax enforcement of immigration laws in the U.S.
On Monday, Shaw Sr., who is black, spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland explaining why he is supporting Donald Trump for President, whom he called "god-sent."
"You'd think Obama cared, and black lives matter," Shaw said, "No. And Hillary is Obama's third term."
He continued:
"Only Trump called me on the phone one day to ask me how I was doing. Only Trump will stand against terrorists and illegal immigration. Only Trump mentions Americans killed by illegals. Trump will put America first, not crooked Hillary."
Speaking with Fusion's Jorge Ramos later in the evening, Shaw Sr. said he was hoping to pass a law that would be called "Jamiel's Law" that would specifically target undocumented immigrants in gangs.
"Why couldn’t you support a law that would target gangbangers?" Shaw asked Ramos. Shaw said his proposal had gotten him called a racist, but he insisted it was a law enforcement measure.
"I'm speaking as a father who misses his son," not a policymaker, he said.
Shaw has appeared previously with Trump, including at a Costa Mesa rally in April and a news conference in 2015, the Times reported.
Watch the full interview below:
@fusion