As the two Democratic candidates discussed immigration at tonight's debate in Miami, Bernie Sanders called out Hillary Clinton for picking out pieces of his Congressional record and using those bits for attacks.

'What the secretary is doing tonight and has done very often is take large pieces of legislation and take pieces out of it,' Sanders said.

'No, I did not oppose the bailout or the support of the automobile industry,' Sanders said, referring to one of the more cantankerous discussions from Sunday's Democratic debate.

'No, I do not support vigilantes and that is a horrific statement, an unfair statement to make,' Sanders continued.

The Vermont senator reiterated that he'd spent his political career 'fighting for workers, fighting for the poorest people in this country, Madame Secretary, I will match my record against yours any day of the week.'

Scroll down for video

Bernie Sanders tore into Hillary Clinton in the opening 30 minutes of tonight's Democratic debate saying that she made a 'horrific statement' about a vote Sanders made in 2006 in support of the Minutemen

Hillary Clinton jabbed at Bernie Sanders for not voting for comprehensive immigration reform in 2007 - a no-no to the audience in Miami, Florida, watching the Univision-sponsored Democratic debate

'Vigilantes' were brought up as Clinton dissected Sanders' record on immigration, pulling out a vote he made in 2006 when running for Senate, but while still in the House.

The vote, an amendment to a bill, ensured that the Minutemen – a group of armed civilians patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border looking for immigrants coming in illegally – wouldn't be ratted out to the Mexican government.

The amendment barred, according to Buzzfeed, the Department of Homeland Security from providing 'a foreign government information relating to the activities of an organized volunteer civilian action group, operating in the State of California, Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona.'

Sanders joined his Blue Dog Democratic colleagues, and many, many Republicans, in voting this up.

'There was a piece of legislation supported by dozens and dozens of members in the house that codified existing legislation,' tonight he explained.

Clinton used this as her cherry on top, telling viewers about a handful of past votes that made Sanders look anti-immigrant – a no-no for the predominantly Latino audience that's particularly paying attention to the Univision-sponsored debate.

'In 2006, Sen. Sanders supported indefinite detention for people facing deportation,' Clinton proclaimed. 'And stood with Minutemen vigilantes in their ridiculous, absurd efforts to hunt down immigrants.'

Sanders then pointed a finger at Clinton suggesting that she wasn't telling the whole story about his record, bringing up the automobile bailout example from the previous debate.

Tonight Clinton also pointed out that Sanders didn't vote for the 2007 comprehensive immigration reform bill that was championed by the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Sanders said that he was against the bill because the guest worker program would allow conditions that were akin to modern slavery.

'I think it's very hard to make the case that Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, me, La Raza, United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta, leaders of the Latino community would have supported a bill that actually promoted modern slavery,' Clinton said back.

Sanders, as he did multiple times through the conversation, tried to explain that his broader record on the issue was more telling.

'Let me respond, let me respond to that,' he said. 'Ted Kennedy was a very close friend of mine and I served on the committee that he chaired.'

Kennedy, Sanders recalled, was kind enough to allow the Vermonter to hold a hearing in 2008 on the 'plight of the undocumented tomato pickers in Immakolee, Florida.'

'I went there on my own, it wasn't an issue really for the state of Vermont, to expose the horrendous working conditions and the semi-slavery, if you like, that those workers live under.'

A Guatamalan immigrant named Lucia asked Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Spanish, 'What can you do to stop the deportations?'

As a result of that hearing, Sanders said, progress was made.

The senator also said the guest worker program was improved upon by the time the 2013 'Gang of Eight' comprehensive immigration bill came through.

'And of course I supported the 2013 immigration reform bill,' Sanders said.

The topic of immigration also led to one of the more tender moments of tonight's affair.

Lucia, a Guatemalan immigrant, spoke in Spanish and asked the Democratic candidates, 'What can you do to stop the deportations?'

'Oh, I absolutely support that,' Sanders began.

'The essence of what we are trying to do is unite families not to divide families,' Sanders continued.

He talked about a particular incident that stuck with him of an immigrant serving in the U.S. military. While the soldier was away the wife deported.

'That cannot be allowed to exist,' Sanders said.

'Ma'am, I will do everything that I can to unite your family, your children deserve to be with your mother,' he added.

When Clinton was presented with her time to answer, she first told Lucia that she was 'brave.'

'This is an incredible act of courage that I'm not sure many people really understand,' Clinton said, echoing Sanders support for legislation that would bring families back together.

Clinton also said that she's like to see stories like Lucia's 'heard more widely.'

'So that more Americans know what the human costs of these policies are,' Clinton said.



