Opinion Letter: Immigrants are not the enemy in Massachusetts, the real threat is greed

FALL RIVER, MA – This is an opinion letter submitted to Fall River Reporter and was not written by us.

“There are many topics I care about, but being an immigrant myself, none more than immigration. Immigration is not the problem.

“It’s the story of who we are. Families who left everything behind and built this country with their hands and hope. Yet under Trump, immigration has been turned into a weapon of hate.

“Families are ripped apart, children are put in cages, and people who come here looking for nothing more than safety and opportunity are treated like criminals. That is not who we are supposed to be.

“Now let me be clear. If someone comes here and breaks the law, they should not be here. Period. But that’s not what this administration is focused on, instead, they go after farm workers, students, refugees, people who play by the rules and keep this country running every single day.

“That’s not justice, that’s cruelty.

“And while immigrants are being demonized, do you know who’s laughing all the way to the bank? The billionaires pulling the strings behind Trump’s agenda, their agenda. The same people write tax breaks for the wealthy while gutting healthcare, education, and workers’ rights. They want us to blame immigrants and the poor, so we don’t see who’s really bleeding this country dry.

“Immigrants aren’t stealing your job, the billionaire class is. Meanwhile, farmers are losing their crops because immigrant labor has been driven away. Families who’ve lived here for decades are living in constant fear. Refugees fleeing violence are turned back as if compassion is some weakness. And we’re supposed to believe this makes us safer?

“It doesn’t.

“It only makes us smaller. America is at its best when it opens its doors, not when it builds walls of hate. Don’t let billionaires and politicians convince you otherwise. Immigrants aren’t the enemy, they are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends. The real threat is the greed at the top that wants to keep us divided while they take everything for themselves. It’s time we stop falling for the lies. It’s time we stand together…for families, for justice, and America we all believe in. Never stop demanding more my brothers and sisters. Elections have consequences.”

Antonio Teixeira