Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 | 2 a.m.
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On Nov. 8, eligible Nevadans will vote for the leader who best represents our community. The future of our families and community is just one of the many issues at stake, and the two leading presidential candidates couldn’t be more different. While one candidate builds bridges of understanding between communities, another candidate builds walls. One candidate has vowed to protect our families by passing comprehensive immigration reform, and the other advocates for a deportation force that would tear them apart. The differences between the candidates could not be starker, and it is up to Nevada Hispanics to turn out and vote.
Donald Trump has aggressively targeted Hispanics. He has promised to eliminate President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration that created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans programs. DACA has allowed 12,000 young immigrants in Nevada to get work authorizations and attend higher-education institutions. Ending DACA without comprehensive immigration reform would send these students back into the shadows and deny them the opportunity to take an active role in the country they love.
Trump likes to tout his business acumen as a qualification for the presidency and often champions himself as an advocate for small businessmen and the working class. In reality, Trump has only been a champion for his own interests, which frequently come at the cost of small-business owners and working people. Investigations have uncovered as many as 3,500 lawsuits against Trump and his businesses for refusing to pay individuals for their work, including thousands of hourly employees in his hotels and casinos. Just as Trump has been a disaster for the employees and small-business owners who were defrauded by him, Trump’s policies would be a disaster for the country.
Despite the barrage of attacks directed at us from Trump, Nevada Hispanics will not be silent on Election Day. The history of the Hispanic community is part of the history of America. This is our year to demonstrate the power of the Hispanic vote and remind Trump that the road to the White House runs through the heart of the Hispanic community. On Nov. 8, let’s vote for a better future for our community.
