Former Mexican president speaks out against Trump
Former Mexican President, Felipe Caldern was in the Coachella Valley Thursday night, headlining the Desert Town Hall Speaker Series in Indian Wells, and he had some strong words about Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policies.
“It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone. Everybody will lose with such kind of business. That is the reason why prosperous nations are so, because they are open and their strength is economic freedom and political freedom,” said Caldern. “Isolating the United States economically and politically would be, in my opinion, the worst decision for the American citizens.”
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Before Caldern addressed a large crowd, he talked with about 150 Coachella Valley sigh school students, including Leonardo Hernandez, who immigrated here with his family when he was 10 years old. He’s worried about what would happen to to undocumented immigrants if Trump were to become the next president of the United States.
“It’s not fair because he is going to deport a lot of people that are actually doing good for the country, and then the bad ones, they will get deported too, but it’s not our fault,” said Hernandez.
Other students in attendance were equally critical of Trump’s policy, including the idea of building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and having the Mexican government pay for it.
“Donald Trump really shouldn’t do this because I think everyone should have the opportunity to come to the United States and have an opportunity to work and have a better life,” said Maritza Lojero, a student at La Quinta High School.
Caldern also said he doesn’t think Trump has the leadership qualities to run the country.
“Leading this great country is not an easy task. It requires responsibility, it takes serious decisions like, for instance, the nuclear bombs or who is going to make the decisions to send the American kids to war,” said Caldern.
The next speaker for the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation’s Desert Town Hall will be former Army general and CIA director, David Petraeus on March 24.
