By Juan Hernandez
In politics nothing is coincidence. A few weeks ago, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, approved an anti-immigrant law that drew attention for being considered the harshest in the United States. Just a few days later, DeSantis returned to the spotlight by announcing his candidacy for president in 2024. He is Donald Trump’s main rival in the Republican Party. The announcement, in keeping with the new times, was made via Twitter. It suffered due to technical problems during the transmission, all by nothing more nor less than one of the richest men in the world, Elon Musk. Curiously, DeSantis gave these two media announcements within a very short period of time, with migration taking center stage because of the humanitarian crisis in various border states of the United States. Many of our countrymen see, with indignation, that migration continues to be the flag with which politicians plan to win votes, without realizing that perhaps it can also be the reason for losing elections. Will DeSantis, Trump, Biden, and whoever joins the electoral contest know this? We’ll see!
What is then the scenario that we find ourselves in with the candidacy of people like Ron DeSantis? «We will close the border with Mexico…» was one of the first statements by the governor of Florida when declaring his candidacy. His affinities are no secret to anyone. Before enacting his anti-immigrant law, he had already stood out for pushing public policies that he himself defines as «going against the woke.» Woke represents a form of nonviolent protest that empowers historically marginalized groups, such as migrants. Likewise, he signed a law that prevents funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Bottom line: Ron DeSantis seems to be cut from the same cloth as Donald Trump.
Pro-migrant groups believe that DeSantis has taken a first step in his political aspirations by sowing fear among undocumented people living in Florida. Many migrants are leaving farms, construction sites, and transportation companies in fear of being deported. This is beginning to have a negative impact on the Florida economy but, above all, on people’s morale. This anti-immigrant bias has led DeSantis to engage in an exchange of words with the president of Mexico. He alluded that the López Obrador government has no will to resolve the immigration issue. As if that were not enough, DeSantis assures that if he is president of the United States, he will force our country to pay for the construction of the border wall that Donald Trump left in the pipeline. «I hope our countrymen wake up, that they don’t vote for those who don’t respect migrants,» said President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in response to messages from DeSantis. Many migrant leaders, however, are confused, because the president of Mexico has revealed his good will for Donald Trump.
As the campaigns and discussions move from politics to facts, in Mexico we work collaboratively to respond to the new challenges that migration presents us. Through the National Coordination of Migrant Assistance Offices (CONOFAM) we continue to strengthen ourselves day by day, exchanging information and good practices. In the state of Guanajuato, we are attentive to helping migrants of Guanajuato affected by the actions of «characters» like Ron DeSantis. We also continue to provide humanitarian support to foreign migrants who transit through our territory. This is in compliance with Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo. We know that migration is flowing, and that we cannot and should not stop it. As one of the volunteers from the shelters we collaborate with told us, “These people are good; they have trades and professions. They are like water that generates life in its path.”
Migration represents people who have had to leave their home to improve the quality of life of their loved ones. There are those who seek to sow fear with anti-immigrant laws or messages. They are only doing so because of their beliefs. Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Joe Biden should be told that migrants are part of the success of the most powerful country on the planet. As part of important information the United States Department of Labor reported that in 2022 there was a 6.3% increase in migrant labor. There are 30 million migrant workers in the United States as of now, the highest level in 27 years. Those 30 million migrants get up every day wanting to get ahead. Those who are able to vote could give victory to the candidate who sees them for what they are: people who have given their time, effort, and life to see wonderful states like Florida flourish.
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Juan Hernández is currently the Secretary of Migration and International Liaison of the Government of Guanajuato, and writes for the newspaper El Sol del Bajío. This column was published with his permission.
