Luis Gutiérrez: Joe Biden will help us build a better future

Latinos in America are suffering. We are being disproportionately harmed by a President who mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic, decimated our economy with irresponsible reopening decisions and poor planning, and has spent the past four years attacking and undermining our community. As a Puerto Rican, I also saw the Trump administration’s failures and cruelty in their response to hurricane Maria and the economic recovery of the island. The Trump Administration has been a failure for Latinos. We have had enough.

Whether you are Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban, Central or South American, we all have felt the attacks of Donald Trump. Up and down his Administration, there have been constant attempts to divide and actively damage our communities.

The Trump administration vowed to attack dreamers on day one, and throughout their administration they’ve done everything they can to leave hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth in limbo and in danger of deportation. Even after the Supreme Court ruled against them, this administration keeps looking for ways to hurt dreamers and with that immigrant families and communities across the country. We know that they’re not done, future attacks are around the corner.

This administration has detained, caged and separated children from their parents. We’ve heard recordings of children crying for help and accounts of parents whose children haven’t been the same after their experience in detention. That’s not even taking into account far too many children who haven’t been reunited with their parents and probably never will be.

And just this week, an administration official took a cheap shot at Little Havana, dismissing the many contributions of our Cuban brothers and sisters and their value to the state of Florida and this country.

This is the same man who took joy in his administration’s refusal to respond to the devastation caused to my beloved island of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. Millions of lives were upended and destroyed by the hurricane. And what did Trump provide in the aftermath? A few paper towels tossed to the crowd. On top of that, he then went on to brag about how good he is for Puerto Rico. Well, I have news for Mr. Trump- he’s not, he’s our nightmare.

I see the struggles of Puerto Ricans on a daily basis, I live here now and everyday I walk by homes without roofs, I see the power go out, I feel the earth shake and I have to manage when there’s no water. A humanitarian crisis made worse by this administration’s racism and cruelty.

Our dignity, humanity, and livelihood are on the ballot for Latinos in this election. As we see so many in our community risking their lives every day as essential workers or the surges in cases of COVID-19 in our communities, we have to take action by demanding real leadership come November. That means voting for Joe Biden. He is the leader that we need and that is why I am proud to support his candidacy and give him my endorsement.

As Vice President and as a Senator, Joe has a long history of delivering results for working families. He knows us, shares our values and will make sure Latinos have a seat at the table as we rebuild our country. He will fight to make sure Latinos can prosper in America and that Puerto Ricans and their wellbeing is taken seriously and front and center in his administration’s policies.

Joe will be ready on day one to rebuild this country. It starts by investing in our schools and communities and making sure we are creating good-paying jobs here in America. He will not only defend the Affordable Care Act, which has brought health care to millions of Latino families, but he will also expand it to include a public option, so we have more choices for affordable health care. Joe will also fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, protect workers’ rights, and expand overtime pay, which will help families put food on their table.

Joe values the rights of immigrants. Immigrants are vital to our country, they are essential workers in our economy and Joe will not only stop the attacks on immigrant communities, but also fight to pass a 21st century immigration reform package that restores justice and humanity to our immigration system. He’s already promised a bill in his first 100 days and will put a moratorium on deportations in that period of time as well. This will help Dreamers, those with temporary protected status and their families earn a path to citizenship -- the same people Trump has unnecessarily targeted from day one.

And for Puerto Ricans, we can count on Joe as a real ally. He understands we need to be treated with both dignity and receive the same support as any other human being. He has committed to rebuilding the island, and rebuilding trust — to make sure that Puerto Ricans have sound homes, schools, and hospitals; real opportunities; and a path to the middle class. As President, Joe will create a federal working group for Puerto Rico to make sure the island has all the federal resources and technical support it needs. He will work to engage Puerto Ricans — including representatives of every status option — in a process of self-determination, listening and developing federal legislation that outlines a fair path forward.

In November, it’s time to end the nightmare that is the Trump Administration. We can build a better future together by electing Joe Biden. A future with Joe Biden as president is one that supports immigrant communities, honors the contributions of Latinos and makes sure that we have a pathway to the Middle Class whether we are living in Philadelphia, Orlando or San Juan.