A video from a Brooklyn immigrant opposing presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments regarding illegal immigrants has prompted reaction from both Trump and attorneys for the restaurant that employs the native Mexican.
Ricardo Aca, 24, decided to make a video as a way to state his view on the immigration issue. Aca, who claimed to be an undocumented immigrant, works as a busboy at the Koi SoHo restaurant. The restaurant is located within the Trump SoHo hotel and is considered “a third party tenant.” It is not part of the Trump Organization.
Aca’s video went viral on Aug. 17, drawing more than 300,000 views in 24 hours. The attraction was largely because the video title, “Meet Ricardo, an undocumented immigrant who works in a Trump Hotel,” insinuated that Aca was in the country illegally and working for a Trump enterprise. Neither is true, according to Suzanne Chou, a lawyer for Koi Group.
“Our company follows the law, and if you are eligible to work at Koi, you can apply,” Chou said.
Aca came to the United States at age 14 with his 12-year-old sister. His mother was already here. She tried to secure visas for the family, but the legal avenue failed. She was working in a New York sewing factory when she arranged to bring her children over through Arizona. Because Aca came to the U.S. as a child, he entered into a 2012 program that granted deportation deferrals and allowed for work permits. So, he is legally working at the restaurant. His mother, stepfather, and sister remain in the country and are working.
The Koi restaurant group demanded the video be taken down because of the fact that he is a legal immigrant. David W. Leopold, former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, is volunteering to assist filmmaker Chase Whiteside in responding to the request. Leopold said that legally, “deferred action does not confer lawful status.” The video remains up.
Trump said he wanted to check Aca’s file, but doesn’t have an issue with Aca or his opinion.
“He’s got a legal work permit. I’ve heard he does a good job. We thought he was an illegal immigrant at first,” Trump said.
Aca said he wants people to understand that Trump’s remarks about immigrants being mostly criminals aren’t true. He isn’t a criminal, doesn’t deal drugs and has never raped anyone. He works three jobs, as do most of those in his family.
“Those are not the immigrants that I know. That is not what we’re like,” Aca said in the video.
Aca said immigrants want to achieve. He graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood Queens and earned an associate’s degree in photography from LaGuardia Community College.
“Everything my family has we earned it by working. We came to America because we wanted a better life. My mom was able to put me and my sister through college, which I’m not so sure that if we were in Mexico we would be able to do that,” Aca said in the video.
Aca thinks most do not agree with Trump on the issue, in spite of surging crowds seeking to see the billionaire who wants to be president.
“I don’t think the rest of America feels the same way that he does. I hope that they don’t,” Aca said.
This post originally appeared on Western Journalism - Equipping You With The Truth