Thread: Austin: Advocates for immigration change face familiar...

Advocates for immigration change face familiar challenges

As they gear up for demonstrations Tuesday in Austin, supporters say they're focused on goal of new laws on behalf of millions here illegally.

By Juan Castillo
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, April 09, 2007

A year ago Tuesday, a euphoric throng conservatively estimated at 12,000 people marched up Congress Avenue in downtown Austin in one of the largest civil protests in city history. Dressed in white to symbolize peace and waving American and foreign flags, legal and illegal immigrants and their supporters protested a congressional proposal that would have made it a felony to be in the country illegally, and they called on Congress to pass more liberal immigration laws.

Shouting "El pueblo unido, jamás sera vencido" ("United, the people never will be defeated"), demonstrators heralded the awakening of a potentially potent political force.

An estimated 3 million to 5 million people participated in similar demonstrations across the country, an unprecedented mobilization among Latinos, said Luis Plascencia, an assistant professor at Arizona State University.

The nationwide spectacle left an impression for another reason.

"The undocumented — the invisible — became visible," said Nestor Rodriguez, co-director at the Center for Immigration Research at the University of Houston. "They established themselves as a presence and said, 'We are here.' You may not like their voice and what they want, but they became actors."

Yet, as organizers prepare for a new round of marches and rallies — the first demonstrations are Tuesday at the Capitol — little has changed in the push for new immigration rules.

The U.S. House measure that triggered the huge demonstrations died, but so did congressional efforts to overhaul immigration laws. That has left cities and states ratcheting up their own efforts to pass laws cracking down on the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, including 1.5 million in Texas.

At the state Legislature, lawmakers have filed more than three dozen proposals targeting illegal immigrants and seeking to lessen the burden they put on social services.

Most of them are in a holding pattern in the House State Affairs Committee, where the chairman, David Swinford, R-Dumas, has said that many measures will probably die because of constitutional issues.

Beginning with a 4:30 p.m. rally on the Capitol steps, Tuesday's demonstrations will seek to reinforce that message, urging state elected officials to leave immigration enforcement to the feds.

Organizers say that they still are a cohesive force and that they expect thousands to march, including busloads of supporters from Houston, San Antonio and other cities. They plan another major march May 1 and say they remain focused on championing federal immigration rule changes that protect workers and families and create more opportunities for illegal immigrants to legalize their status.

If a rally in Dallas that drew only about 5,000 people last week was an indicator, crowds could be smaller this year. And the exultant optimism of last spring has yielded to pragmatic assessment of challenges ahead.

"Sometimes, these changes take time," said Leslie Helmcamp of Catholic Charities' Office of Immigrant Concerns and a leader in the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition. "Maybe last year, the climate wasn't right (for immigration reform). Maybe we had a little more work to do to really make clear what the issues are."

Still, supporters contend that had it not been for their very public protests, the U.S. House measure making undocumented immigrants felons would have passed. (With rare exceptions, felons are ineligible to receive any legal status in the United States.)

"It was because people took to the streets, because political leaders started seeing such widespread disapproval for anti-immigration bills, that they held back a lot of what would have been called immigration reform," said Luissana Santibañez, a 23-year-old University of Texas student.

Critics found plenty not to like about the demonstrations, calling them brazen displays by people who had violated immigration laws. Put off by the display of Mexican and foreign flags by people who said they wanted full inclusion in American society, critics questioned protesters' allegiance. Subsequent demonstrations featured more American flags.

Even some immigrant advocates wondered whether protesters had inadvertently galvanized the opposition. Among them was Ignacio Aviles, who feared that another march would give opponents more reason to stiffen their resolve.

But last week, Aviles, a U.S. citizen and dental technician who works with immigrant groups here, said that his position had evolved and that he now believes the marches are constructive. He is helping plan Tuesday's demonstrations.

"I think it would be worse not to do anything," said Aviles, 58, a native of Aguascalientes. At least changes to immigration law are still on the table, and protests have helped convey a message that immigrants are here to work and to improve the country, Aviles said.

Aviles said the demonstrations also awakened legal immigrants. Stirred by the protests, they are applying in record numbers to become U.S. citizens, which would give them the right to vote.

"The only way to achieve our goals and to win our rights is with the vote," Aviles said.

Maria Luisa Bautista, a legal immigrant from Mexico who founded the Austin-based Inmigrantes Latinos en Accion, said some undocumented immigrants want to participate in new protests but have been asking whether police will make arrests or immigration agents will conduct raids.

"We can't guarantee anything," Bautista tells them. "But if it's a peaceful march, we don't have to be afraid."

In the days before another massive march last May, reports circulated that federal immigration agents were conducting raids across Central Texas. Officials neither confirmed nor denied the reports, saying only that agents conduct planned, intelligence-driven investigations every day.

Helmcamp said that a new push for immigration reform will keep the issue in the public eye.

"I think people will understand that this is good for the community, and we need to have a sound immigration policy that helps people legalize their status so we know who's in the country," Helmcamp said.

Rodriguez said marches and demonstrations can continue to have impact if they are strategically planned. Whether they move Congress to act, only time can tell, he said.

"Look at all social movements," he said. "The women's suffrage movement. It took many marches."

http://link.toolbot.com/statesman.com/73775

Still, supporters contend that had it not been for their very public protests, the U.S. House measure making undocumented immigrants felons would have passed. (With rare exceptions, felons are ineligible to receive any legal status in the United States.)

This is misleading. HR4437 did pass the House.

"I think people will understand that this is good for the community, and we need to have a sound immigration policy that helps people legalize their status so we know who's in the country," Helmcamp said.

Criminals get away with breaking the law and we are going to pretend like it is a security matter but the OBLs deny that unlawful people are here in this country illegally. Speaks with forked tounge.

"Look at all social movements," he said. "The women's suffrage movement. It took many marches."

Grasping! Criminals comparing themselves to Americans again. The Suffragets didn't put themselves in the situatuion that prompted lawful change that they as American citizens were entitled to complain, protest and demand change.

Dixie

"The only way to achieve our goals and to win our rights is with the vote," Aviles said.

Hope everyone sees this little sentance.

WHAT RIGHTS & with WHAT VOTE?

Does this mean that AMERICAN'S RIGHTS are trumped by ILLEGALS?

Focus on the TRILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS that these people would cost to American tax payers! It would completely drain the USA and bring us into a 3rd world category.

Apr 10, 2007 5:20 pm US/Central

Anti-Immigration Legislation Debated At Capitol

Keith Elkins
Reporting

(CBS 42) AUSTIN At the State Capitol, a statewide rally and mobilization march is underway to protest anti-immigration legislation.

Protesters are speaking out against a series of immigration bills being debated at the State Capitol.

But the gathering is small in number, and much smaller than last year's nationwide march where hundreds of students walked out of school early in protest.

Supporters say they're taking a stand in Texas against anti-immigrant legislation they consider unfair. One of those proposed laws would deny the benefits of citizenship to U.S. born children of undocumented workers.

Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition started their rally at the Capitol around 4:30 p.m. and they say will march down Congress Avenue to Austin’s City Hall.

http://keyetv.com/local/local_story_100182305.html

YOu know they keep confounding us with this illogical statement;
we demand rights, our right.

What RIGHTS do they think they have?
Other than a one way ticket home and the promise of being thrown into jail if they come back?

Originally Posted by Dagmar

What RIGHTS do they think they have?

Don't you know? Because they are "aliens" these idiots think they are due the unalienable Rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence.

I suppose the only way to make them think otherwise is a one way trip to Mexico City or wherever they come from.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by Dagmar

What RIGHTS do they think they have?

Don't you know? Because they are "aliens" these idiots think they are due the unalienable Rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence.

I suppose the only way to make them think otherwise is a one way trip to Mexico City or wherever they come from.

I'd prefer prosecuting them.

Their problem is they have been here to long, now they believe they are citizens with the same rights as us. unreal, unbelievable, uncomprehensible, unmidigated gall, unf____g real. They make me sick!
And your right Dixie the stupid asses don't even know 4437 passed the house. GO HOME AND TAKE YOU ABETTERS WITH YOU.

While they were stomping in the street, I called my legislators because I'm a voter and I count.

Dixie

But the gathering is small in number, and much smaller than last year's nationwide march where hundreds of students walked out of school early in protest.

They must have the attention span of a flea. Their numbers have dropped in all the recent marches. Personally I'd like to see another 500,000 waving Mexican flags. That did more for our cause in one hour than we managed in 6 months.