Trump/Arpaio event represents Arizona of past, not future

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX –Senator Catherine Miranda, chair of the Arizona Legislative Latino Caucus, released the following statement on Saturday’s visit to Arizona by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump:

Sen. Miranda

“With Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's event on Saturday where he will be appearing alongside disgraced Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Arizona has the chance to send a message to the rest of the country that it does not stand with men who spout hateful rhetoric and participate in blatant fear mongering,” said Senator Miranda.

“Trump's claims that Mexican immigrants bring with them drug and crime, even going so far as to label them rapists, are a throwback to a divisive era from which we are still recovering and to which we must never return.

“It is disgraceful to allow Mr. Trump to speak in our state, welcomed both by a politician facing federal hearings into his department's racially-motivated practices and by the Maricopa Republican Party. They represent the Arizona of SB1070, of divisive politics that deeply scarred our state's image and damaged our economy when it was already struggling.

“They don't represent the Arizona of today, where we have been making strides to celebrate our diversity and show the world we are open for business. The governor's recent trip to Mexico City shows just how far we have come from the dark days of 2010 and how we are striving for better relations with our neighbor and largest trade partner.

“A person like Mr. Trump who thinks that spiteful comments demonstrate leadership is, in fact, demonstrating exactly why he has no business running for our nation's highest office. Arizona must send a strong message to Mr. Trump and the world that he and his vitriol have no place in today's Arizona, where we are all working hard to build a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with Mexico and a bright future for our state.”

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