Eduardo Padron: What is happening to immigrants in the US is unacceptable and shows a lack of respect for human dignity'

"Eduardo Padron, 81, is a former president of Miami Dade College. He speaks with the serenity of someone who has dedicated his entire life to education. But when he describes the treatment that many migrants receive in the United States today, his tone shifts to one of restrained indignation. What's happening is unacceptable; [it's] cruel mistreatment that shows a lack of respect for human dignity, he says, in a conversation with EL PAIS."

"Padron was born in Santiago de Cuba and arrived in the United States as a refugee in 1961. His conviction led him to join other prominent members of the community in the Four Voices, One Miami campaign. The initiative includes billboards and social media videos denouncing the immigration policies of the Trump administration, stating that they dehumanize immigrants and force them to live in fear."

"The initiative is funded by Keep Them Honest, Inc., a non-profit organization that has launched campaigns criticizing South Florida Republican politicians for failing to defend immigrants who have fled dictatorships. Some of the ads say Deporting immigrants is cruel, accompanied by images of the legislators. Cuban-American philanthropist Mike Fernandez recently revealed that he has contributed millions of dollars to the campaign."

"The Trump administration has promised mass deportations. There have been intensified raids on workplaces, arrests at traffic stops, and detentions in immigration courts. The climate of fear has separated numerous families, directly impacting the large Latin American diasporas in South Florida. Many individuals have been left in immigration limbo, after the federal government canceled their temporary protections or terminated humanitarian programs that had"

Eduardo Padron, former Miami Dade College president and Cuban refugee, condemns cruel mistreatment of migrants and emphasizes obligation to speak out as immigrants. He joined other community leaders in the Four Voices, One Miami campaign that uses billboards and social media to denounce Trump administration immigration policies as dehumanizing. The campaign is funded by Keep Them Honest, Inc., and received multimillion-dollar contributions from Cuban-American philanthropist Mike Fernandez. Advertisements state "Deporting immigrants is cruel" and feature images of legislators. The administration's promises of mass deportations led to intensified workplace raids, traffic-stop arrests, and immigration court detentions. Many families have been separated and individuals placed in immigration limbo after cancellations of temporary protections and humanitarian programs.

Read at english.elpais.com