MINNEAPOLIS — In the bustle of Mercado Central in Minneapolis, a hub home to Spanish-speaking businesses, advocacy groups and restaurants, WCCO asked people what concerns them.
There are 345,000 people in Minnesota who identify as Latino. As a group they could be decisive for the outcome.
“That really hurt when I heard on the news the kind of language some politicians used against immigrants,” said business owner Columbia Reyes.
While she blames former president donald trump and his supporters for the negative language about immigrantsshe is indecisive when it comes to voting.
“Both candidates have good qualities. If we can combine the two, we can probably get one, but right now I’m still deciding,” Reyes said.
She was the only undecided voter WCCO spoke with Thursday.
“Right now there are immigration problems, the way people portray immigrants as inadequate,” said Diego Cardozo, an insurance agent. “I think Kamala is more responsive to the interest of the immigrant community.”
Several people WCCO spoke to are not yet U.S. citizens.
“We are a mixed status family. That means some of our relatives are undocumented, some are citizens and I am a permanent resident,” said Emilia Gonzalez Avolos.
All three of her children and all of her grandchildren were born in the US and are US citizens. She worries that Trump would strip their birthright citizenship and make it more difficult for her citizenship application.
“I’m concerned that anyone has the power to challenge naturalized, approved residents,” Gonzalez Avolos said.
Although she can’t vote, her 15-year-old daughter volunteers for Vice President Kamala Harris and her son has made up his mind.
“My oldest son is a salesman and an entrepreneur. He also votes for Kamala Harris,” Gonzalez Avolos said.
The issue of birthright citizenship came up a number of times at Mercado Central.
Trump has said he would like that put an end to birthright and that he could do it by executive order.
Hamline law professor David Schultz says this is incorrect. He says Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment and it would take a constitutional amendment to be reversed.
Esme Murphy
