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New Jersey-based food company Goya is facing a backlash after its CEO Robert Unanue praised President Donald Trump.
At an event on Wednesday, Unanue said, “We are truly blessed, at the same time, to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.” He doubled down on his comments during an appearance on Fox News on Friday.
The compliments have Latinx families purging the product from their kitchens and looking for alternatives. #BoycottGoya, #GoyaFoods and #Goyaway began trending on Twitter with support from former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and “Hamilton” writer Lin-Manuel Miranda.
According to the Associated Press, Goya was founded by Spanish immigrants in Manhattan in 1936. Robert Unanue is the grandson of the founders Prudencio Unanue Ortiz and Carolina Casal de Valdés.
Jenny Robles, a public relations professional in New Jersey, told the Associated Press that her family would no longer be purchasing Goya products as Unanue’s comments were a slap in the face to her immigrant family. Associated Press
In other local immigration news…
NYIC Blames Menchaca for City Cuts to Program
The New York Immigration Coalition attacked Councilmember Carlos Menchaca over the city’s recent $7.1 billion budget cut, which slashed the NYIC’s $1 million “Key to the City” program. NYIC’s Executive Director Seve Choi said the cut proved Menchaca was out for revenge because the organization endorsed an assemblymember candidate in Menchaca’s district whom Menchaca did not also support. “Menchaca is using the New York City budget and the cuts as cover to exact personal retribution, which is really the height of pettiness,” Choi said. As chair of the immigration committee, Menchaca has final say over what immigration programs were cut, and this was the only one. New York Daily News
Immigration Rights Groups Worry about Contact Tracing Data
Immigration rights and privacy advocates are raising concerns about COVID-19 contact tracing and what its massive collection of data means for immigrants, especially the undocumented. State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) and state Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) introduced a bill to prevent law enforcement and immigration enforcement from using data compiled by contact tracers and make it inadmissible in court proceedings. Rivera said it was important undocumented immigrants were confident sharing their data would not have unintended consequences, such as tipping off immigration authorities. They are hoping to consider the bill when the New York state legislature returns to session July 20. Gothamist
