Speaking out for immigrants has cost me, but Miami Republicans’ silence is worse | Opinion

This past week, I was heartened by the reaction to recent articles in the Miami Herald and New York Times discussing my civic engagement in defense of decency, compassion and justice for immigrants.

I spoke not only as a Cuban American, but as an American deeply troubled by the cruelty inflicted on people — especially Latinos — in our state and country by President Trump’s immigration policies. Many reached out in support. A few disagreed. I write now not to those who cheered, but to those who scorned, and more importantly, to those who remain silent.

I did not come to this moment lightly. I crossed a personal Rubicon from which there is no return. But it had to be done. Let me set the record straight:

I am no leader — just one voice hoping to awaken a slumbering moral majority. I have always resisted bullies and abusers quietly. But quiet action in the face of loud injustice is a form of complicity.

That ends now.

I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I am an American — an immigrant who came here with nothing, became a citizen, served in the Army, and owe this country a debt I can never repay. I believe in the rule of law, strong borders and the fair removal of those who break our laws. But I also believe in humanity and the right of every person to be treated with dignity and due process.

I will never forget how this country embraced my family when we arrived with only hope in its promise. I am the son of a father who taught courage and a mother who taught compassion. Educated by Jesuits, I live by their motto — “men for others” — and their belief that love must act. When cruelty becomes policy and injustice becomes normalized, love must raise its voice.

That is why I can no longer remain silent as Miami’s Republican U.S. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez and Mario Diaz-Balart shrink from their responsibility to stand against Trump’s dehumanizing immigration agenda. They are Cuban Americans and children of immigrants, just like me. They know the pain of exile. Yet in the face of a bully president who separated children from their parents, vilified immigrants and exploited fear for power, they say and do nothing, though Salazar has sponsored the Dignity Act to provide legal status to some undocumented immigrants.

Their silence is not neutrality. It is cowardice.

Speaking out has come at a cost. A bag of raw meat was recently left on my driveway with an ominous note: “We know you love your dogs.” Weeks later, an unfamiliar man pulled up beside me, called me by name, and warned me to “Stop talking.”

I won’t lie — it shook me. But it did not silence me. It steeled me.

I’ve long feared heights. During my military service in the Vietnam War, I forced myself to jump from planes over and over until fear became endurance. I was as afraid on my last jump as my first, but I kept jumping.

To those who try to intimidate me, know this: I am not afraid. You will not bully me into submission. You will not quiet the truth. And you will not stop what must come next.

The soul of our country is not for sale. Our values are not negotiable. When our representatives lack the courage to stand for what is right, it falls to citizens like you and me to speak up — and act. Very soon, I will act again and speak out even more forcefully, alongside others who still believe in an indivisible nation dedicated to liberty and justice for all.

Not for Republicans.

Not for Democrats.

But for Americans.

We can be better than this. We must be.

Miguel “Mike” B. Fernandez is the CEO of MBF Healthcare Partners in Coral Gables. He is a Cuban-American community activist and philanthropist.

This story was originally published August 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM.