Leaders of five Latino and immigrant rights’ organizations on Friday denounced former President Donald J. Trump’s immigration proposals, saying his plans would amount to constitutional overreach, lead to mass racial profiling against Latinos and pose a threat to democracy.
Mr. Trump in a Time magazine interview this week described the arrival of migrants at the nation’s southern border as an “invasion” and laid out plans for a massive deportation operation if he is re-elected this fall.
“There’s no right way to be American, there’s no right way to look American,” said María Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, adding that Mr. Trump and his backers sent Hispanic voters the wrong message.
The event was part of an effort by the groups’ political arms to better coordinate their work to shore up Latino support for President Biden and other Democrats ahead of the November election.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., leaders with Voto Latino, UnidosUS Action Fund, Mi Familia Vota, America’s Voice, and Latino Victory Project announced a combined investment of $50 million — the most the groups have spent jointly to sway a voting bloc that is likely to be crucial in swing-state races and congressional elections.
Their focus, they said, was to avoid another Trump presidency, saying Mr. Trump had launched his 2016 campaign with dangerous and dehumanizing statements against Mexicans and immigrants, and had only intensified his rhetoric since then.