What Donald Trump's 'Anti-Immigration' Views Really Mean to the US Latino Community
Donald Trump tops the South Carolina primary polls, but will his anti-immigration views and policies help him win over the US Latino community?
Billionaire and presidential hopeful Donald Trump came out on top at the SC Republican primaries in South Carolina and New Hampshire.
"A number of the pundits said, ... 'Well, if a couple of the other candidates dropped out, if you add their scores together, it's going to equal Trump.' They don't understand that as people drop out, I'm going to get a lot of those votes also," said Trump as he celebrated his victory.
The GOP race is heading towards the state of Nevada where around 28 percent of the population is Latino.
Trump proposes three core principles on immigration, which will put the needs of the country first rather than others. The first one is to put a wall across the southern border. The second one involves passing laws guided by the Constitutional system of government. The last one involves improved job, wage and security opportunities for all Americans.
As for the wall border, Trump proposes to have the Mexican government pay for it. He alleges that Mexico and its people have been bleeding the United States dry through billions of dollar remittances from illegal immigrants and wreaking havoc through crimes once they enter.
His immigration reforms also include deportation of criminal aliens, detention of illegal aliens to be sent home, larger penalties for those who overstay and getting rid of "birthright citizenship," wherein children who are born in the United States from illegal immigrants are granted citizen status.
In June of last year, the billionaire accused Mexicans of "bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
Latino celebrities pleaded with the community to not vote for Trump in line with his views as well as for Cruz and Rubio or any major Republican candidate. Carlos Santana, America Ferrera, Aubrey Plaza, George Lopez, Zoe Saldana and Ivonne Coll were only a few of the 22 who signed the letter.
"From accusing Mexicans of being rapists to kicking Jorge Ramos out of his press conference, Trump has spent the entirety of his presidential bid stoking unfounded anti-immigrant fears and deeply offending our communities," the missive signed by well-known Latino celebrities said. "Latinos should understand that Donald Trump embodies the true face of the entire Republican Party. Sadly, he speaks for the GOP's anti-immigrant, anti-Latino agenda."
Famous musician Carlos Santana urged Latinos and Americans to be united and vote wisely. Dolores Huerta, a civil rights leader, also spoke out about the issue, saying that the presidential candidates have been using immigration as a platform to cast immigrants in a bad light. She adds that Latinos have influence and power to decide who the next President will be.
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