In 1982, Roberto Suazo Córdova became President of Honduras during one of the most politically unstable periods in Central American history. The region was caught in the crossfire of Cold War tension.
In neighboring El Salvador, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front was two years into its insurgency, and the outcome of that civil war was still uncertain. The United States, fearing Soviet influence on its doorstep, poured resources into the region to tip the balance — regardless of the human cost.
I was too young at the time to understand any of this. But the ripple effects of that era are still unfolding.
One of the people caught in those ripples is our cleaning lady, who came to the United States from Honduras to seek a better future. She didn’t come here to take — she came here to contribute, to survive, to give her Family the chance to thrive. Like so many others, she left behind everything familiar because she had no other real choice.
Yet today, the radical, racist Republican regime in power treats immigrants like her as expendable. They weaponize immigration policy to stir up fear. They demonize people who are simply trying to live.
It’s easy to feel removed from these issues. It’s easy to scroll past the headlines and say, “It’s complicated.” But sometimes it’s not.
This is about basic human dignity. This is about remembering that America is at its best when it opens doors, not builds walls.
So I’m asking you to do something simple: Take five minutes.
Contact your representatives. Tell them this cruelty is not in your name. Tell them that immigrants — our neighbors, coworkers, caregivers, friends — deserve humane policies and respect.
Because silence is complicity.
And because the fight for justice doesn’t end at our borders.
Robert Thompson is a visionary in the realm of progressive media, founding Peach News Now several years ago. The media platform transcends traditional boundaries to bring news and perspectives to the forefront via radio, social media, podcasts, and more. Robert is a member of the Lean to the Left podcast’s monthly Dixie Dems feature, reporting from Georgia.
