Dear Editor,
The Venezuelan people have suffered for far too long. Recent news surrounding the capture of President Nicolás Maduro has exposed many Americans to the brutal reality of his regime: one marked by corruption, drug trafficking, food insecurity, and widespread poverty. U.S. officials have described Maduro as the head of a criminal enterprise that enriched itself while millions of Venezuelans struggled to survive.
It’s worth asking ourselves: if we lived under those conditions, wouldn’t we also look for a way out?
Yet since his first administration, Donald Trump has consistently demonized immigrants, ignoring why so many come to the United States in the first place. They are fleeing failed states, violence, and desperation.
Trump has claimed Venezuela emptied its prisons and sent their criminals here, so we should all demand that immigrants be deported. But recent coverage and Trump’s own words last weekend paint a different picture: the criminals appear firmly entrenched in Venezuela, running the government and its oil fields.
Which version are we supposed to believe? He seems to demonize just about everyone who doesn’t look or act like him. Just ask Marjorie Taylor Greene, once his staunchest supporter, who is now on his black list simply for disagreeing.
Tragedies in the news headlines remind us that not every immigrant is a good person, just as not every American is. But decades of research consistently show immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. Violent acts by immigrants are the exception, not the rule.
The next time you see someone you assume is an immigrant, I hope you offer a helping hand instead of a scowl. And the next time you hear Trump demonize any group or person, I hope you’ll think twice before quickly agreeing with him.
Ace Jones, Greensboro