Activist plans protest march in Irving
By MELISSA VARGAS
Star-Telegram staff writer
Sun, Oct. 07, 2007

IRVING -- Carlos Quintanilla is again taking his cause to the streets.

He gathered more than 50 people at a Mexican restaurant Saturday to organize a march in protest of a city program that has increased the number of deportations of immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Hispanic business owners, community members, religious leaders, radio and television personalities, teachers and students asked the public to join them at 3 p.m. next Saturday for a march from Texas Stadium to City Hall -- a distance of more than four miles.

Attendees also prepared for a delegation of about 35 representatives to meet with the Dallas County district attorney's office at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to formally request an investigation into the Irving Police Department over what they call illegal apartment complex raids about three weeks ago.

Mayor Herbert Gears could not be reached for comment, but he has said that residents were arrested only if they had broken the law and that the officers do not check for immigration or citizenship papers.

"In the absence of immigration reform there are injustices," Quintanilla said. "We need to begin to address these injustices."

Quintanilla called the Police Department's Criminal Alien Program "an excuse to begin massive deportation." The program has netted more that 1,500 deportations this year. The Mexican consul general has also expressed his dismay at the heightened numbers of deportations in Irving.

City leaders say illegal immigrants are being deported every month because of the city's increased scrutiny of the immigration status of people arrested.

Quintanilla's pro-immigrant organization Acción América held a rally Sept. 26 to protest the police program. He told the crowd to call City Hall and demand an end to the program.

City officials said the next day they were swamped with nearly 500 calls in favor of the police crackdown.

This report includes material from Star-Telegram archives.

msanchez@star-telegram.com
Melissa Vargas, 817-685-3888
http://www.star-telegram.com/407/story/259897.html