Immigrants in America are facing a binary choice in November between the status-quo of remaining marginalized in America or being terrorized for being immigrants. The two presumptive presidential candidates; Donald Trump and Joe Biden are not for immigration, notwithstanding the political rhetoric coming from both. Neither are offering to bring immigrants out of the shadows. But there remains a choice for immigrants, unpleasant, but a clear choice, nonetheless.

It is choice between terrorism and being left in the fringes of society.

Donald Trump is offering the same thing he has already unleashed on immigrants, terror. Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t believe that America needs immigrants to be great. Trump has terrorized immigrants throughout his presidential term.

For immigrants, another Trump term is terrorism magnified tenfold.

On the other side of the choice is status-quo.

Joe Biden is telling everyone that immigrants are essential to the American experience. It is words for political points and nothing else. Biden is no friend of immigrants. His political record proves it. His party, the Democratic Party is also not friendly to immigrants, notwithstanding today’s political rhetoric.

The Democratic Party is the party of labor unions. Labor unions have no interest in allowing immigrants to come to work in America legally because they fear immigrants push wages down and makes it harder for Americans to compete for jobs.

As long as that mindset remains, the Democrats will allow the status quo for immigrants to remain, where immigrants are neither here nor there, but just in the fringes of American society.

As such, the choice for us immigrants in November is the choice between terrorism – Trump, or the choice between remaining on the fringes of society – Biden.

The choice is clear, remain in the fringes of society hoping that in four years we can organize ourselves to come out of the shadows of society.

It may not be palatable, but it is the only choice we have. If we can legally support Biden, we should. If we cannot, we must ask our fellow immigrants that can legally support Biden to go out and do so.

Martin Paredes

Martín Paredes is a Mexican immigrant who built his business on the U.S.-Mexican border. As an immigrant, Martín brings the perspective of someone who sees México as a native through the experience...