When you enter the home of Enrique Melendez in Fountain Hills, an invitation into his office is an invitation to enter his home country of El Salvador.

Melendez is Honorary Consul Emeritus to El Salvador. He has held the position of Honorary Consul for 10 years. It is primarily a public relations position, but the controversy over immigration from Central America has drawn Melendez into many discussions regarding immigration policy. He has recently been called upon by Congressman Andy Biggs, Congressman David Schweikert and Governor Doug Ducey to offer perspective on changing U.S. immigration policy.

Melendez describes himself as politically independent, but is clear he does not believe the current direction is fruitful.

“In my opinion [President Donald Trump] has destroyed the respect Latin America has had for the United States dating back to [President John F.] Kennedy,” Melendez said.

Melendez knows the history of immigration relating to Latin America. He said Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress provided funding to Latin America for infrastructure such as highways, bridges, schools and hospitals.

In the 50 years since, poor people have suffered with rich getting richer and the poor unable to escape poverty.

“The wealthier are not paying enough wages,” Melendez said. “Some types of skilled labor such as carpenters and mechanics are making $9 a day.”

How do you survive with a family? You look for a better life elsewhere.

In 1942 President Roosevelt met with Mexico’s President Manuel Avila Camacho to develop a program for workers from Mexico to come to the U.S. to offset those Americans gone to World War II.

Melendez said the program developed then provided food, shelter, housing and hospital for 30-cents an hour.

“Many of those workers had families and children born in the U.S., making them American citizens,” Melendez said. “When those in the work program went home the children stayed in the U.S.”

The immigration debate has gone back and forth ever since. Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress lasted until 1964. By 1967 crossing the border illegally was a felony and, in 1986, Reagan’s immigration reform provided for amnesty.

In 1978 Melendez was working in Los Angeles as a public relations manager for ARCO. He was asked by company executives to meet on behalf of the company with Cesar Chavez who at the time had a group boycotting ARCO stations.

Melendez met with Chavez who asked him to organize a meeting of a number of organizations dedicated to the cause of Mexicans and Latinos.

Melendez said they brought 41 officials together at ARCO headquarters to discuss their common issues.

Chavez told the group that if they were not united they would not be able to accomplish anything. Among the first order of business was a common identity for the people.

Melendez said there were groups that called themselves Chicano, Mexican American or simply American and Cubans and Puerto Ricans wanted completely separate identities.

“There was no unity there,” Melendez said. “It was finally decided they would refer to themselves as ‘Hispanic.’”

ARCO also agreed to hire additional Hispanics in jobs for the company, including executive, which included Melendez. That boycott ended, but Chavez used the tactic again and again to gain civil rights for Hispanics

In 1982 President Ronald Reagan called Melendez to the White House where he decorated him as one of the top 20 Hispanics in the nation, based on his efforts working with Chavez.

Personal concern

Right now, according to Melendez, there are 47,000 El Salvadorans living in Arizona with 14,000 in Mesa alone. As Honorary Consul, Melendez represents his fellow Salvadorans.

Four years ago there was a previous influx of Latin American immigrant children. Governor Ducey asked Melendez and other Latin American diplomats for their input on what to do with the children.

“I disagreed with some of the others,” Melendez said. “I said they should be sent back.

“I’m Christian and compassionate, but there needs to be respect for the sovereignty of the U.S. There were 30,000 sent back to El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.”

The question today that haunts Melendez is whether the children are being treated humanely. He believes they are.

“Without a doubt,” Melendez said. “I have heard not one negative report of children being mistreated.

“There is one instance of a six-year-old girl from Costa Rica abandoned by coyotes. The Costa Rican consul met with officials in Tucson and made arrangements to reunite the girl with her mother who is in New York.”

A friend of Melendez’s who operates a restaurant in Mesa has been in this country for 17 years. Her daughter got into the U.S. legally on her third try. She has been here five years and her current work permit is good until 2020, according to Melendez. However, the young woman was recently told by ICE that she was going to be deported.

Melendez said he would be in court with her later this month.

Melendez is concerned about some of the children coming here now. He does not agree they should be separated from parents and does believe that is a Trump administration policy meant to discourage people from coming here in the first place.

However, Melendez said violent gang members are as young as 10 years old and not easily identifiable. He has some concern about them getting in.

“The immigration issue is not going to end,” Melendez said. “People want a better life away from crime and gangs and poverty and to reunite with their parents and grandparents who are here from [the Reagan] amnesty.

“I really don’t know what the answer is.”