Thread: Hours extended for immigration hotline

Hours extended for immigration hotline

By Andrea Fernández Velázquez

An immigantion hotline will extend its hours beginning Monday to help with the numerous issues Houston immigrants are facing, including detention and discrimination, advocates announced Saturday.

The hotline, which provides referrals to attorneys and legal services, will operate 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday, according to organizers of the Immigrants' Rights Hotline Town Hall Saturday at the Baker Ripley Neighborhood Center in southwest Houston.

“After the travel ban, there was just huge outcry, lots of interest from people from the airport, volunteers, the community with ongoing concerns so we opened the hotline to answer those questions,” said Andrea Guttin, the legal director for the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.

The Immigrants’ Right Hotline — 833-HOU-IMMI or 1-833-468-4664 — is a free service provided by non-profit staff and U.S.

Department of Justice accredited representatives.

The hotline is a collaboration of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Baker Ripley, Boat People SOS, United We Dream and the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.

ACLU of Texas senior staff attorney Edgar Saldivar stressed the importance of being informed to avoid misinformation.

“The Constitution applies to everyone, whether you are a citizen, an undocumented person, even a tourist,” he said. “You have basic Constitutional rights that apply to you as long as you are on American soil.”

The continued demand from the community for the hotline has resulted in an increased number of places where callers can be referred to for assistance. Another goal is to connect people with community groups and community events, Guttin said.

“Right now we are also trying to focus on having people call the hotline if they have experienced racial profiling by police or if immigration and customs enforcement have not followed proper procedure, have entered a property without a warrant, if there are some kind of constitutional violation,” Guttin said.

Carlos Saldivar, with Mi Familia Vota (or My Family Votes), noted the difference citizens can make when they exercise their right to vote.

“We are working to make people understand the importance of participating in the midterm elections, since many people say ‘Oh yeah, I vote in the presidential elections, but not in these,” Saldivar said. “They have to understand the importance of voting because they impact them directly, their community, their family, their county.”

Attendees shared experiences as immigrants or acquaintances of immigrants who have suffered racial profiling.

Damaris Gonzalez, a DACA recipient and community organizer for United We Dream Houston, said she understands what it is like to live in fear, but that it only takes a step to refuse to live that way.

“We are all human beings and if we do things for humanity and share stories, we can do a lot because I believe that there is power in everyone and so use that power to fight against the oppression that keeps on attacking our communities,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said she decided to take a stand and fight the partnership between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with state and local law enforcement.

“It makes me very sad there are a lot of Dreamers and that a lot of them we have abandoned that I can no longer stay quiet. For long time I have stayed still, but it is now time to do something,” said attendee Fanny Montan.

Hours extended for immigration hotline

Flood the hotline with calls that we do not approve of illegal aliens in our country!

Go be a "human being" on your soil.

That "Fifth Column" train is never late...