El Pasoans to join anti-immigration reform rally today

El Pasoans to join anti-immigration reform rally today
By Ramon Bracamontes \ El Paso Times
Posted: 02/22/2011 12:17:50 AM MST

Five busloads of El Pasoans will join thousands of Texans today in Austin in a rally aimed at getting Republican lawmakers to stop supporting immigration bills that rally organizers consider racist, one of the organizers said Monday.

The El Pasoans, who left Monday night, will take part in the "Texas Can Do Better" campaign, which aims to protect the rights of immigrant families. The rally is being organized by the Border Network for Human Rights, an immigration reform and human rights advocacy organization based in El Paso.

Sen. José RodrÃ*guez, D-El Paso, applauded the El Pasoans who are going to the state Capitol to speak out against legislation targeting Latinos.

"With Latinos now making up 38 percent of the state's population, it is critical that their voice be heard and it is even more critical that the Legislature start to listen," he said. "Now is not the time that we pass divisive laws that will likely tear families and communities apart. We must focus on the real crises facing our state, including addressing a $27 billion budget shortfall and having the highest percentage of uninsured children in the nation."

RodrÃ*guez said immigration policy should remain a federal responsibility.

"We don't need 50 sets of state immigration laws," he said.

Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, said the rally will bring attention to the bills being filed that are anti-family and clearly racist.

"Groups from all over Texas are going to Austin to present the voice of the immigrant communities in Texas and to get lawmakers to reject anti-immigration legislation," Garcia said. "These bills do not represent Texas values."

So far this legislative session, more than 60 anti-immigrant, anti-family bills have being filed by extremist Texas legislators, according to the human rights network. Among the bills being opposed by the human rights network are the criminalization of immigrant families and workers in Texas, mandating local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws, requiring school officials to report undocumented students, and denying birth certificates to children born in Texas to undocumented parents.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17447259

there is nothing racist about this. It is a fact that 80% plus of all illegals belong to one ethnic group. Get over it and be Americans first and stop flexing demographic hegemony muscles!

Looks like our folks in Texas are going to need us today and tomorrow.

W

there is clearly little if no support for the illegals based on the replies at the source link..
most everyone thinks they should be removed.

Quote("With Latinos now making up 38 percent of the state's population, )quote

Are you legal if so then why worry. The second generation Mexican-American should as or more concerned over illegal immigration as any citizen for certainly it is and will affect your children and grandchildren.

Many legal residents I talk to understand this although some are reluctant to speak in there communities.

its funny , they fought us tooth and nail here in arizona to stop SB1070 ... and as we continue to STEAM ROLL THEM they don't bus people in to protest any more ..... HA HA !!!

better get those busses in reserve for when you need to start bussing the illegals out ...

THIS El Pasoan did not go and would never support such garbage.

Just curious who provided the 5 buses. Anyone know?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jean

Just curious who provided the 5 buses. Anyone know?

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el paso does not have alot of charter companies.
it could have been greyhound of the el paso-los angeles bus company

Two other Related:

TX: Thousands protesting proposed immigration bills
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-229011.html

TX In Austin, crowds rally against immigration proposals
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-229067.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marquis

its funny , they fought us tooth and nail here in arizona to stop SB1070 ... and as we continue to STEAM ROLL THEM they don't bus people in to protest any more ..... HA HA !!!

better get those busses in reserve for when you need to start bussing the illegals out ...

---

The price of gas just jumped in TX so that might slow them down a little.

Dixie

El Pasoans among those rallying against bills that target immigrants
By Zahira Torres \ Austin Bureau
Posted: 02/23/2011 12:00:00 AM MST

AUSTIN -- Enriqueta Breceda did not tell her adult children why she would be in Austin on Tuesday.

Breceda, a 77-year-old woman who moves with the assistance of a walker, didn't want them to stop her from getting on a bus and traveling 10 hours to join thousands of Texans who gathered at the Capitol to protest legislation that targets undocumented immigrants.

The crowd, which included people from cities all over the state, marched through the streets of Downtown Austin before arriving at the Capitol for a "Texas Can Do Better" rally.

Their chants, which alternated between English and Spanish, included phrases such as "education not deportation" and Gov. Rick "Perry escucha. Estamos en la lucha," which roughly translates to "Perry hear us, we are in the struggle."

Groups later fanned out to visit the offices of individual lawmakers.

"I hope they hear our pleas," Breceda said.

About 60 bills that target undocumented immigrants have been filed in the state Legislature. Among those bills are a few that promote Arizona-style legislation, which requires local law enforcement to act as de facto border patrol agents.

Others would require schools to identify students who are undocumented immigrants, deny birth
certificates to the children of undocumented immigrants, and halt the flow of state dollars to cities and counties that do not enforce immigration laws.

Attendees said they could not support those bills or one filed just one day before by state Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham. Her bill would allow local law enforcement to turn over undocumented immigrants in county jails to the office of a U.S. senator or congressman.

"What we are trying to do is have a more responsive federal government on an issue that they say is their purview," she said. She added that her bill is different from Arizona-style legis lation because it deals only with people already in the jail system.

UTEP senior Noemi Cortez, 21, was among a number of people who held up signs with phrases that included "Si se puede (yes we can)", "watch out Republicans -- Latinos R-out-2 vote you out," and "Immigration demands a federal solution."

Cortez, a U.S. citizen who has lived in both El Paso and Juárez, said she always looked at the American government as the example of what Mexico should be with "great values" and "great points of view."

"I would wish Mexico could have a little bit of that, but then you get disappointed by the decisions (lawmakers) make here, and you don't know anymore," Cortez said.

Texas faces a budget shortfall up to $27 billion that will mean crushing cuts in areas such as public education, higher education and health care.

State Sen. José RodrÃ*guez, D-El Paso, told the crowd at the rally that the state should be focused on those issues. Instead, he said, some lawmakers have chosen to "attack Latinos and immigrant communities."

State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, echoed his comments.

"You are here to say no to the most racist session of the Texas Legislature in over a quarter of a century," Burnam said. "You're here to say no to xenophobia. You're here to say no to old-fashioned bigotry and ignorance."

Fernando Garcia, the executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso and one of the organizers of the rally, said that if the proposed bills become law, Latinos will leave Texas.

He also made sure to clarify that the participants in Tuesday's march were not undocumented immigrants but rather Texas voters.

"One of the mistakes is to consider this an immigrant issue," Garcia said. "It's larger than that."

El Pasoan Linda Trevizo, 58, said her trip to Austin was the first time she has participated in a rally to support the rights of Latinos.

"I'm here with a lot of love for those who need us to defend them," she said. "Those of us who can, have to fight for those who need us most."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17456191

Illegals MARCH ON AUSTIN! PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION!!!!

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1188666.html#1188666