Various groups accused U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday of drifting away from the reality faced by millions of families during his State of the Union address due to the high cost of living, and also criticized his attacks on immigrants and the electoral system. «The speech deviated significantly from the reality of Latino families. His statement is because he knows he is losing ground among voters of color, who will decide the margin of victory in the November midterm elections,» the organization indicated. Trump also said he intends to ban mail-in voting for most Americans, «a direct attempt to further deprive marginalized communities of their rights,» according to Voto Latino. The group highlighted that if the initiative, which faces opposition in the Senate, is approved, citizens without a passport would be disenfranchised, and noted that about 146 million people do not have this document, with a price ranging between $65 and $195. Voters with disabilities would also be affected, and both men and women who have changed their name face barriers: according to the group, 69 million women and 4 million men do not have a birth certificate matching their new legal name. Similarly, about 21 million voting-age people lack documents such as birth or naturalization certificates, especially in rural or low-income communities. Among Black and Latino citizens, more than one in four do not have a driver's license to verify their name or address. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and its Educational Fund highlighted that «new challenges are being presented to the pillars of democracy» with «barriers to accessing citizenship and naturalization.» According to their argument, ensuring fair access to voting and supporting eligible permanent residents on their path to citizenship is «essential for a representative democracy.» Photo EFE. The post «Organizations criticize Trump's speech for ignoring working families and migrants» was first published on La Verdad Panamá. «She celebrated the vigorous enforcement of federal law that has traumatized neighborhoods across the country and claimed the economy is prospering while working families suffer the weight of rising costs,» stated Jessica Orozco Guttlein, senior vice president of Policy and Communications for the Hispanic Federation, in a press release. Also, she added, when the experiences of working families are ignored or omitted in the speech, «the words sound hollow.» Meanwhile, America’s Voice stated in another note that the vast majority of Americans reject Trump's «dark vision» and «misplaced» priorities, offering a «long, outdated, and tone-deaf» speech, argued Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of that organization. Cárdenas criticized the «gruesome» descriptions of immigrants as criminals, racial attacks on «Somali pirates,» and «blatant lies» about the 2024 vote. «Instead of addressing the American majority, Trump stoked his ever-shrinking base and ignored the clear priorities and preferences of the majority,» she affirmed. Meanwhile, Voto Latino expressed concern over the president's insistence on approving a bill that would require voters to present proof of citizenship and a photo ID to vote in federal elections, «as part of his efforts to interfere in U.S. elections.» «Trump once again pushed for its approval.»
