By Ramon Bracamontes \ El Paso Times:

Posted: 02/22/2011 07:47:17 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.

Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6142.

El Pasoans in Austin to participate in immigrant rights rally

By Zahira Torres / El Paso Times

Posted: 02/22/2011 11:44:15 AM MST

AUSTIN - Thousands of Texans have shown up at the state's capitol to participate in the "Texas Can Do Better" rally, scheduled to begin at noon in Austin.

The event 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.

Four busloads of El Pasoans left Monday night to participate. The El Pasoans were delayed, however, because one of the buses broke down.

"I'm here to support those people who want to live the American dream because they are God's people," said Beth Weems Pirtle, 75, of Farmer's Branch, Texas.

Participants held up signs at the rally which read "Rick Perry, don't forget this nation is made up of immigrants." "Texas is not Arizona." and "Texas Can Do Better."

The rally is aimed at getting Republican lawmakers to stop supporting immigration bills that rally organizers consider racist, organizers said Monday. 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.

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