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Writer's pictureMelenie Padilla

Is Trump "pro-Hispanic"?

Updated: May 5, 2019


The border fence in Calexico, CA. Guarded with barbed wire and a U.S custom and Border Protection vehicle. (Photo courtesy of Melenie Padilla)

In the article “President Trump’s immigration agenda is pro-Hispanic,” Jarely Parada from Fox News states that Trump wants immigrants to come safely to the U.S. She states that “The president is reforming our broken system from one that poses no serious challenge to dangerous illegal entries, to one that fosters a legal, more secure alternative.” (Parada). Her comments stem from her personal experience. She writes, “As a Hispanic woman and legal immigrant from Bolivia, I see this proposed system as significantly more pro-Hispanic and pro-immigrant than the shameful status quo” (Parada). Clearly, Parada believes Trump is pro-Hispanic. She believes Trump is in favor of immigration, legal, that is and has no intention of going against Hispanics. 


In her article, she also speaks about the dangers of crossing the border. Something that is true and horrendous for an undocumented immigrant. Most Hispanics here on the border know these dangers and can agree on that point. However, her take on Trump being “pro-Hispanic” is something that can be debated.


According to Parada, people are wrong for thinking that “President Trump’s policies are unfair, inhumane and anti-Hispanic” (Parada). However, it has been shown that this is not all true. 


In June of 2018, photos and stories of children in cages went viral. For example, “Separation at the border: children wait in cages at south Texas warehouse” written by Associated Press in McAllen, Texas. Undocumented children who crossed the border and were caught were sent to facilities like the one spoken about in this article in southern Texas. “Hundreds of children wait away from their parents in a series of cages created by metal fencing” (AP). Children from all ages were put in cages. Cages. U.S Representative Peter Welch tweeted about his visit to the facility and described it as “nothing short of a prison”. 


The article talks about the conditions the children were in while in these facilities. They were bad. Something out of a horror story. The Associated Press states that they were kept 'warm' with “foil sheets intended to serve as blankets”(AP). The article also discusses how the older children had to take care of the younger ones. It states how they were even taught to change diapers because no parents were there to help. 


How is this “pro-Hispanic”?


Parada claimed that Trump’s policies were not anti-Hispanic or even inhumane. But how can we believe that after seeing the conditions immigrants are being put through on this side of the border? In the article “What you need to know about the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy” Miriam Valverde speaks about the policy affecting hundreds of children. “This policy has the effect of separating parents from their children when they enter the country together” (Valverde). The zero-tolerance policy is causing people to look at Trump’s agenda with sad eyes and “calling it inhumane” (AP).


The belief that Donald Trump is “Pro- Hispanic” is damaging. It is unfortunate to believe that he is "pro-hispanic", especially after seeing how the U.S treats innocent children who have no idea what is happening. A phrase like “Trump is pro-Hispanic” should not be said if it is not true in every aspect. Cages are not pro- anything positive. 


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