A letter from Jan 31, 2025

Dear FutureMe, Dear Future Me, I’m writing to today because, honestly, I’m worried. I can feel the weight of my anxiety, and I know it’s because of everything happening right now. Trump’s presidency is something else. I’ve read through his executive orders—some have merit, but I don’t agree with the way he’s approaching things. I understand deporting criminals, but when he talks about immigrants as if they’re all criminals, it’s frustrating and disheartening. Many of these people had no choice but to leave their homes, often under desperate circumstances. Who are we to judge the reasons they left? Yes, in a perfect world, they would have followed the legal process, but for most, that wasn’t an option. These are parents who wanted nothing more than to give their children a better future. My own parents know that struggle. They grew up working in the fields as young as eight years old, earning only a quarter a day. Even in adulthood, they labored in the fields just to scrape by. That wasn’t the life they wanted for me or my brothers. So, they took what little money they had and used it to bring themselves here. They worked hard, learned the culture, paid taxes, and lived like any other citizen. Because of their sacrifices, I am now in college, studying to make a difference in as many lives as I can. Instead of working in the fields, I am pursuing something that truly speaks to me—and that is a privilege I don’t take for granted. But I don’t believe the people in power care about families like mine. If they did, they would offer words of reassurance, or better yet, take actions that reflect empathy. America was built on the idea of hope, dreams, and prosperity—the American Dream. Yet, Trump seems to believe those dreams only belong to those born here or those with citizenship. Would Martin Luther King Jr. be okay with what’s happening today? Back then, unjust laws were still laws, but that didn’t make them right. Now, we see policies that seek to strip birthright citizenship from children of immigrants who do not marry an American, detain thousands in future crowded facilities, and cut essential funding without warning. That last one, at the very least, could have been handled with more respect instead of being done so abruptly. So, no—he is not my president. I understand the need to remove actual criminals, but I refuse to accept the way he paints every immigrant as one. And let’s not forget—Trump himself has falsified documents. Yet, he holds power and represents this country. He calls every undocumented immigrant a criminal not deserving to have a future here, but by his own standards, he doesn’t deserve the title of president. It’s shameful to see him foster so much hate against a community of hardworking families—families just like any of yours. Sincerely, A human being.