Karina Ruiz, the first migrant candidate for the Senate of the Republic, assured that she will dedicate herself to legislating in favor of all migrants residing in the United States, with an emphasis on poor migrants, as President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has stated.
In an interview with El Heraldo de México, she detailed the importance of her representation in the Senate, as it allows her to bring the voice of 40 million migrants to the upper house.
“We will also advocate for more spaces in the Senate for migrants like me, who can represent our people because we contribute significantly with remittances, so we must also be considered,” she declared.
Additionally, Ruiz stated that her plans include living in Mexico for six months to legislate in person and six months in her current residence in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Her goal is to travel to the states where the majority of Mexican migrants live to listen to them and gain a broader perspective on their needs.
“For me, it is very important to be there during the legislative session, to be present, present initiatives, vote on initiatives, and stay very attentive. But I also represent Mexicans abroad, so it is also important for me to have that mobility and be here in the United States, not just in Phoenix where I live. We will be planning schedules, like the doctor, to visit different points in the United States—California, Chicago, Texas, New York—seeing different regions where there are concentrations of Mexicans, to listen to them and create legislative initiatives based on their needs,” she explained.
Finally, Karina Ruiz stated that despite not having a political career, she believes that her struggle as a migrant provides her with many tools to serve as a Senator of the Republic, as she has learned about the political system in the United States during her years abroad.
“I feel very ready. Look, although I am not a career politician, I think that has its advantages and, well, also its disadvantages, right? Because I think it might take a bit longer for them to accept me or there might be doubts about my capacity since I am not a career politician. But although I am not a career politician, my path in this social struggle has taught me a lot about the political system in the United States. Even though it is similar to Mexico's, it is not the same, but I have an idea and a notion,” she said.