In a recent PBS News segment, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, an advisor to both George W. Bush and Barack Obama and now a supporter of Donald Trumpeto, suggested that Latinos have “broken up” with the Democratic party and are embracing MAGA, despite its anti-immigrant rhetoric, largely due to “faith and familia.”
As he attempted to explain the 45-plus percentage point of Latino voters who went for Trumpeto despite his labeling immigrants as “animals,” “vermin,” and “poisoning the blood” of America, Rodriguez, who has Puerto Rican roots, said Latinos are now increasingly embracing evangelical Christianity and moving toward what he called “biblically substantiated truths” and, consequently, more conservative political stances.
Rodriguez argued that today’s Democratic party no longer represents the classic center-left ideals of Barack Obama’s time. Instead, he claims, it has veered into “extreme left” territory on many issues. He noted that while many Latinos may personally dislike Trump, they feel his policies align better with their values and beliefs as Latino Christians.
Yet, Rodriguez did acknowledge concerns about Trump’s policy of mass deportations. He asserted that he had received “assurances” from the Trump team that deportations would target criminals and national security threats. His understanding, he said, is that “good, God-fearing, hardworking families” who have been here for years would not be targeted.
To Rodriguez and to all Latino pastors who may have led their congregations into supporting a leader whose actions could pose real threats to Latino communities and all of us, I urge you to remember the words of Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller.
Niemöller, a German theologian and Lutheran pastor, who was a supporter of Adolf Hitler in his early years. However, as the Nazis’ grip on Germany tightened, Niemöller came to oppose Hitler’s regime, eventually becoming a founder of the Confessing Church, a Christian resistance movement against the Nazi takeover of German Protestant churches.
Niemöller’s most famous words, quoted widely after the Holocaust, remind us of the dangers of standing by while others suffer. In his 1946 poem, he wrote: “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Niemöller recognized, too late, that his early support of the Nazis enabled the very regime that would imprison him in concentration camps for years. He narrowly escaped execution and later spent his life as an advocate for peace, deeply regretting that he had not done more to protect the Nazis’ victims.
I remind all immigrant Trumpeto supporters of Niemöller’s words, not to equate the incoming administration with Nazi Germany, but to underscore the dangerous consequences of endorsing policies that target and oppress others under the guise of selective compassion or political alignment.
Today, it is convenient for some Latino leaders to argue that only “criminals” or “national security threats” will be targeted, or that “good families” will be spared from mass deportations. However, history has shown us that such distinctions are unreliable. Once a system of mass deportation is in place, who decides who is deemed a threat, a criminal, or expendable?
Trump’s policies are not just abstract political maneuvers. They affect real people: families, children, and communities. His appointed border czar Tom Homan is champing at the bit to execute.
There is no guarantee that those who are considered “safe” today won’t be targeted tomorrow. It is essential that Latino pastors and other leaders consider not just the promises made by politicians, but the potential impact of those policies on the most vulnerable among us. Today, it may be “criminals” or those involved in “nefarious activities,” but what about tomorrow?
As a community rooted in faith, compassion, and resilience, we must not ignore the consequences of policies that dehumanize others. Supporting leaders who actively promote divisive, harmful policies not only endangers vulnerable groups but ultimately threatens the fabric of our community.
Let Niemöller’s words be a warning to those willing to trade compassion and solidarity for political gains. We must stand together now — before there is no one left to speak for us.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focused on positive news about Black immigrant communities from the Caribbean and Latin America.