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Claribel Martínez Marmolejos, a chemist by profession and a Dominican national who has lived for decades in Puerto Rico and is the representative of the immigrant community on the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) governing board, spoke out Tuesday against the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Santurce over the past weekend.
“We in the PDP are an integral part of the Puerto Rican people who reject the way in which the new federal regulations are being applied,” Martínez Marmolejos said in a statement. “Dominicans are part of the Puerto Rican community, and it is an abuse to want to generalize regarding the commission of crimes or irregular immigration status. In light of what has happened, we have observed and analyzed the situation and it must be said that the contrast is clear and evident: an absent governor in the face of this reality, versus a present resident commissioner.”
On Sunday, more than 12 individuals were taken into custody as part of an ICE sweep targeting illegal migrants in San Juan’s Barrio Obrero, a section of Santurce with a historically large Dominican population.
The PDP board member said that while Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, who is the incoming president of PDP, warned the immigrant community last week about possible raids and informed them about their rights, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón told them that they did not have to worry. “Yesterday we saw who was right. While Pablo José showed his face after the raids, Jenniffer was still traveling and sent her secretary of state to say that they were only arresting criminals. Puerto Rico has to be clear about the prevailing reality.”
Martínez Marmolejos was referring specifically to the fact that the La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech said on television that the ICE raids were going to be carried out against people who were residing illegally in the United States, and who had a criminal record, or who were under federal criminal investigation.
“The opposite has happened; those who were arrested were people with their documentation in order,” Martínez Marmolejos said. “They went specifically to Barrio Obrero, which obviously promotes a stigmatization against our community. We all know that crime has no nationality.”
She added that in the face of the situation with ICE, the New Progressive Party government of Jenniffer González continues to show disorganization.
“Certainly being a leader requires vision, preparation and compassion,” Martínez Marmolejos said.
