John Leguizamo has become one of the most influential voices in the defense of immigrants in the United States. His activism has gained strength in social networks and public forums, where he denounces discrimination and policies that affect Latino communities. His critical stance towards Donald Trump's administration has led him to become a reference in the fight for immigrant rights.

In recent months, Leguizamo has pointed out how political rhetoric has contributed to the dehumanization of Latino immigrants in the United States. "I feel very offended by this attack on immigrants and especially because the majority of the Latin immigrants who look just like me, who could be my cousin, who could be my aunt, my uncle, my nephews. It's insulting and demeaning to our whole race as a people, as an ethnic group, and we cannot stand for it. It dehumanizes us, it he calls us animals and criminals; it's disgusting, and it's unacceptable and we can't allow it," he stated in one of several posts on his Instagram account.

The actor emphasizes the importance of speaking out and resisting any attempt at dehumanization. In his messages, he stresses that this type of discourse can lead to acts of violence and discrimination against the Latino community.

According to Leguizamo, the anti-immigrant discourse has generated racist attacks in public spaces, where people are harassed for speaking Spanish or simply for their Latino appearance. "Our best weapon is to record everything, film it and help each other. We cannot allow anyone to trample on us," he has expressed in his social networks.

In this sense, the actor stresses the need for greater organization within the Latino community. With 70 million Latino citizens in the country, he insists that unity is key to confront policies of exclusion and discrimination.

ICE Raids

Leguizamo also expressed his outrage at the raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), describing them as a cruel act against hardworking people. "These ice squads and raids are so disgusting and horrible. I mean, most immigrants are not criminals, they're not drug dealers, they're not assassins, they're not rapists. I mean, Trump let out real cop killers from January 6th and and these innocent immigrants have to suffer innocent. I mean, yeah, you keep saying you're taking not criminals, but these are not criminals," he denounced.

The actor stresses that the U.S. economy depends on immigrants, who perform essential jobs in agriculture, construction, food processing and other key sectors. He also warns of the economic risks of a restrictive immigration policy, citing historical examples of countries that have suffered economic declines after closing their doors to immigration.

Another criticism Leguizamo has launched is against the decision to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, arguing that these have been key tools in reducing discrimination in the workplace. "We were not hired, we were segregated, we were excluded from certain neighborhoods, and we were not allowed to move up in the workplace. I've seen it in Hollywood for four decades," he says.

He also points out that the lack of representation and opportunity affects the Latino community in sectors such as technology, banking and large corporations. His call is to support companies that encourage diversity and reject those that do not.

Resilience and Unity

Leguizamo's message is clear: Latino immigrants are not criminals, but essential workers who have contributed to the development of the country. "My immigrant brothers and sisters: I know you're not felons. I know you're not criminals. I know you're not drug dealers. You're the hardest working people in America. You inspire me and I and I feel pain for your plight. Nobody gets a joy of seeing you picked up and handcuffed. It breaks my heart to see Latin people, Latin bodies being treated this way. We're 70 million Latin people, United States citizens, 10 million immigrants. We need to stand up for each other. We need to stand up. You can't be quiet in during this presidency. You need to act up, speak up, and and and and fight and do what whatever powers we have, whatever tools we have, we have to use them. I'm with you." he concluded in one of his messages.

Donald Trump's aggressive policies against minorities and illegal immigrants have aroused empathy and solidarity in many sectors. Recently another actress and singer, Selena Gomez, also went viral with a video in which she cried heartbroken over what was happening to people who ended up in anti-immigration raids.

Just this Tuesday, the White House responded to Gomez in a video posted on mogul Elon Musk's X social network. In the piece, a group of women who are mothers of victims of serious crimes, replied to the artist for not having cried for their sons and daughters.
 
The positions of Leguizamo and Gomez show that the Trump administration is far from achieving unanimity around its anti-immigrant and anti-minority policies. It is worth asking whether this radical strategy has enough support to hold for the next four years or whether President Trump will have to back down at some point. The day will dawn and we shall see.