Sen. Markey speaks with Hispanic media about Trump's immigrant initiatives

By Yadira Betances | [email protected]

BOSTON — Speaking to Spanish-language journalists on Feb. 23, Senator Edward Markey reiterated his support to undocumented residents who obey the law, are working hard to support their families and are providing an education to their children.

“I am going to fight as hard as I can against Donald Trump’s initiatives to demonize immigrants in the same way he has tried to demonize the people of Mexico,” Markey said.

To learn more about the plight of Mexicans, Markey along with Democratic senators Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon went to the border of El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico, Feb. 17 to 19.The senators also visited Mexico City. 

“In an effort to learn more at this time where theTrump administration is announcing new policies that have a profound impact on the immigrant community in the United States,” Markey said during the meeting at his office in the John F. Kennedy Federal Building.

Another reason for the visit  Markey said was in anticipation of Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s trip to Mexico this week.

“I found it was important to go there  so I can talk to the leaders of Mexico myself so that I can see on the border what conditions were that are giving rise to the Trump’s administration vilification of Mexicans” the senator said.

Markey noted guards gave of their own money to buy toys for unaccompanied children.

“There are a lot of people who have a heart, but if you kick Trump in the heart you’re going to break your toes,” he said with a smirk.

Markey added he is convinced that the Trump’s administration attempt to humiliate Mexicans is ultimately going to be counterproductive since Mexico is the top two traders the U.S. has.

“In order for us to have a good working relationship with Mexico we have to approach it from a respectful perspective. We have to make sure they understand that on crime, drug and immigration that we know they have to be our closest working partners if were going to be successful in implementing policies that are successful and humane,” Markey said.

The senator said the key to having a successful partnership with our neighbors to the south is “ensuring the Mexican people we respect them and we see them as our atmospheric neighbor and not as a group of people who are alien to American culture.”

“We need to build bridges, not walls”, Markey said.

Markey said there are 35 million Americans of Mexican descent in the country who are an integral part of the story of the United Sates of America and should be respected.

With his new executive orders of immediate deportation and 10,000troops to round up undocumented, or having them sent to detention centers Markey said President Trump is “putting a cloud over millions of families in our country” and making them afraid that if any family member does anything wrong no matter how small it is, they along with the rest of the family could be deported.

“They are afraid to do anything that could be helpful to our society.  I view it as un-American, inmoral and ultimately illegal.”

The children of undocumented immigrants who also live in this constant fear that their parents and even themselves could be send back to their homelands worry Markey.

“A child lying in bed worrying about that is not a happy child,” he said. “We should not have a child thinking like that in school, in church or walking the street.”

Markey said he feels a “moral responsibility” to the law-abiding undocumented.

“That’s why I went to Mexico and the border. We have a responsibility to stand up for all those American values,” he said.

One issue Markey noted was how American’s involvement in Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador is part of the reason why people from those countries are fleeing violence, poverty and injustice today.

Markey said “A Day Without Immigrants” where business owners did not open their stores and thousands of employees did not go to work in support of their fellow immigrants, was “successful.”

“It was a powerful statement that showed they remain an indispensable part of our society and it would harm us if they are not part of our economy,” Markey said.