On Tuesday, February 22, 2011, hundreds of protestors met at Waterloo Park and marched to the South Steps of the State Capitol for a day of action for immigrant integration and community security. Protesters came from all across Texas to rally against what they consider as the anti-immigrant agenda in the State Legislature.
The protestors emphasized three points: 1) Proposed state legislation on immigration will impose unsustainable costs on state and municipal governments; 2) our families are safe and secure because our diverse communities trust local law enforcement; and 3) Texas must blaze its own path, not Arizona’s. Protesters were seeking to promote the security of all Texas families as well as the dignity and rights of immigrant families.
According to The Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA), approximately 60 anti-immigrant proposals have been filed by Texas legislators. These include criminalizing of immigrant families and workers in Texas, having local law enforcement enforce federal immigration laws, and necessitating school officials to report undocumented students and refuse birth certificates to children born in Texas to undocumented parents. Protest participants attended from various cities in Texas: Austin, El Paso, Dallas, Ft. Worth, College Station, Houston, Laredo, Lubbock, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley.
There was a sense of excitement in the air as we headed to the capital chanting in English and Spanish phrases such as “education not deportation,” “ si se puede!” and “Perry, eschucha. Estamos en la lucha!” As we marched on, construction workers cheered and smiled at us, some taking our picture on their telephones as we marched in high spirits toward the steps of the capitol.
photo courtesy of Sophie Hedrick
