Thread: Houston immigrant groups vigilant as reports of raids grow across country

Houston immigrant groups vigilant as reports of raids grow across country

Houston Chronicle

>>Click through the gallery to see how immigrants have impacted Texas Photo: RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL" class="landscape">

Updated 4:26 pm, Saturday, February 11, 2017

In what officials on Friday called routine enforcement actions, U.S. federal immigration agents arrested hundreds of undocumented immigrants in at least four states this week. Coming on the heels of President Donald Trump's executive order barring refugees and immigrants from seven majority-Muslim nations, reports of immigration sweeps this week sparked concern among immigration advocates and families. Trump's order is currently on hold.

As reports of raids on undocumented immigrants seem to ramp up across the country, local activists and community members expressed fear and concern of similar incidents in Houston.

Texas Organizing Project members and United We Dream activists gathered at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Saturday for a police and community relations forum asked local officials about what would be done concerning recent immigration raids.


By the numbers
Percent of Texas' population that are immigrants: 16.3 percent

"Our members at the Texas Organizing Project knocked on doors to have you elected," said Silvia Chicas, immigration services coordinator. "How will you actively protect undocumented immigrants when ICE comes knocking on our door and when will you do it?"


By the numbers
Growth in foreign-born population (2000-2013): 44.4 percent

ICE officials said in a statement Friday that the agency had been conducting routine "enforcement actions" that resulted in 160 arrests in Southern Califonia. Many had serious criminal histories, authorities said.

"The rash of recent reports about purported ICE checkpoints and random sweeps are false, dangerous and irresponsible," ICE said in a statement Friday. "These reports create panic and put communities and law enforcement personnel in unnecessary danger."



No confirmed reports of raids or detained immigrants have come from Houston, but immigrant groups have seen them in other Texas cities, including Austin and Dallas.

Dianna Alexander, an educator in Spring Branch ISD, discussed during the community forum how she knew of teachers in Austin who were riding the school bus home with students to make sure their parents were at home and not captured by ICE.

She also heard reports of apartment complexes being raided off of Gessner within the last week.

Even though Alexander is a U.S. citizen, she worries she will now get stopped by immigration officials or police.

"Are we going to be racially profiled because we're brown?" Alexander wondered. "How do you know that someone's a citizen just looking at them, so are people going to be checked?"

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said that her office does not enforce immigration raids or deportation and that her staff members do not ask the documentation status of any victim or witness.


Jeanne Ruff holds a sign at a protest aimed at Donald Trump's immigration orders outside Super Bowl Live Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 in Houston.

However, she said there's only so much protection the local government can offer immigrants.

"We worked with the police department to make sure that the protesters both at the Super Bowl and in the airport got the right to exercise your first amendment freedoms," Ogg said.

"But beyond talking about it, we have to vote. We're here because people did not vote."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that he does not want to enforce excessive arrests of undocumented immigrants, but still wants to keep the city safe.

"If somebody enters our custody that's been a violent offender of some kind, there will be some level of accountability because undocumented and documented communities need safety as well," Gonzalez said.

A spokesperson with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said in an email late Friday that they have not participated in any street-level immigration enforcement efforts.

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"As has always been the case, the HCSO's cooperation with ICE is limited to screenings in the Harris County Jail for offenders arrested and charged with state crimes," the statement said.

Mary Moreno, a spokesperson for Texas Organizing Project, said she received a text message from an undocumented immigrant on Friday claiming they saw a border patrol car pulling someone over in Sugar Land. The person also stated they witnessed a border patrol car driving in the parking lot of an area gym.

Doug Adolph, a spokesperson with Sugar Land police, said Saturday they were not participating in immigration raids or detainment.

IN PRISON: Lawyer: Pro-Trump mindset led to long prison sentence in immigration case

"We are not aware of any activity that's occurring within our jurisdiction," he said.

Andrea Guttin, the legal director of Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, said even though there were no confirmed cases, she was concerned and they were trying to prepare for it.

An immigrant and refugee rights' hotline will be set up next week in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union.

Elizabeth Theiss, president of Stop the Magnet, a political action committee that supports the enforcement of deporting undocumented immigrants, said she was happy to hear the news of the raids.

"We're thrilled to see that our laws are being enforced," Theiss said. "We feel like finally after a decade of screaming, we are seeing some action. It's just an unusual thing to see politicians do what they promised to do."

She believes that removing undocumented immigrants from the country will make the country safer for future generations.

"I hope that it continues and we get to see it in the Houston area, so that those jobs begin to go to legal American citizens who do not have jobs," Theiss said.


Maheen Virani, center, holds up a peace sign as she joins hundreds of people protesting Donald Trump's immigration orders outside Super Bowl Live
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 in Houston.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Pia Das speaks to demonstrators as they protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport
on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017, in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border,
blocking families from reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Shifa Abuzaid speaks to demonstrators as they protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental
Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017, in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed
the border, blocking families from reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.


Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,
in Houston. Sunday's events continue a weekend of unrest in Houston and around the country as federal officials closed the border, blocking families from
reuniting in the U.S. and refugees resettling around the country.























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