Political leadership in Phoenix and Arizona does not reflect the fact that the city is more than 40 percent Latino. But In the recent general election more Latinos were elected and early estimates say the Latino vote was up. The group La Machine was one of the key organizations behind that increase — the group works to boost civic participation, especially among millennials.
Antonio Valdovinos is the 26-year-old executive director of La Machine. He grew up in Arizona, but when he was 18, he found out he was undocumented. He couldn't join the Marines or run for office, so instead he created an organization to help foster and support a new generation of local Latino leaders. He says for La Machine, the most recent election was a victory in some ways: Sheriff Joe Arpaio was defeated and Latino leadership increased. But, he points out, Donald Trump was also elected.
Today, Valdovinos has legal status under President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. But with the election of Donald Trump, who's been saying he’ll deport millions, the future of DACA, the future of immigration reform and liberal policies are all uncertain.
Valdovinos, like others is worried. He reached out to Ruben Gallego, the Arizona congressman, whose campaign he worked on in 2014
Valdovinos said he texted him saying, “Hey, what do we do, and he just texted me back, saying, 'we fight.' And for me it’s like how? What does fighting look like now?"
Although he is continuing his work, in this new climate, he is unsure of his own status and future: