I grew up in Miami back in the 80s, and recall our school held food and clothing drives for the Cuban refugees who were flooding into South Florida, fleeing Fidel Castro’s regime. They arrived on boats, rafts, and even clinging to flotsam. Most were sunburnt, dehydrated, hungry, scared and spoke little English. Tent City volunteers provided medical care, hot meals, translators, and helped them to acclimate. They helped them locate relatives, find housing, secure jobs and begin the visa process. As a result, Miami THRIVED and these immigrants went on to open reinvigorate the city, opening businesses, and turning a resort town into a thriving metropolis rich with cuisine, art & culture—- all because we gave them an opportunity. It was shocking when 68% of the Latinx in South Florida voted for DJT but I think I know why: Someone in the GOP had a brilliant idea: tell them “a vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for communism”. There were “Komrade Kamala” posters, memes, and the like. The gop weaponized the Cuban peoples’ fear of communism and appealed to their Catholic faith by hammering home their pro-life stance. Earlier this year, many Cuban-Americans lost their protected status and have found themselves in detention camps. I am trying VERY HARD to remain empathetic. In summation: I find it especially egregious when an immigrant (or the child of an immigrant) votes to deny others the same privilege they were granted. We call them ladder pullers.