U.S. Senator Bob Menendez torched controversial Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over his recent immigration and deportation plans if elected at his 6th annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Union City High School yesterday.
The event, held inside the gymnasium, allowed politicos and residents alike to enjoy dance performances and remarks from Analilia Mejia, the executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, before Menendez took the stage and torched Trump (without mentioning his name) over his immigration reform plan.
Menendez later stated that this presidential election cycle has “hit a new low,†with remarks that “demonize†the Latino community. However, he also highlighted some positives, asking the audience to take a look back at the Hispanic culture’s “lasting contributions†to American society.
Menendez then presented the 2015 Orgullo Hispano Award to immigrant rights leader Maria Gabriela Pacheco, the program director at TheDream.US.
Her speech revolved around a friend who just passed away in a cycling accident, a man she recalled as a strong advocate for immigration reform, even though he wasn’t Latino.
Rosie Rios, the treasurer of the United States and a Harvard graduate, was the keynote speaker.
A large portion of her speech reflected on her son, who is now a freshman at Harvard, writing an essay on Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor’s autobiography.
Officials in attendance included Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32), Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, West New York Commissioner Gabriel Rodriguez, Union City Housing Authority Executive Director Virgil Cabello, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Marcos Vigil.
Considering the current investigations underway re Robert Menendez, he is hardly in a position to offer an opinion or judge any one – especially on someone who promotes upholding and enforcing laws.