Houston, Texas – Today, immigrant youth and allies from United We Dream, Woori Juntos, Texas Organizing Project, Workers Defense Project, and Workers Defense Action Fund joined together to take action outside the Houston Joint Processing Center with national and local demands. Immigrant communities are demanding the Biden administration follow through on their commitment to end Trump-era policies like Title 42 and ‘Remain in Mexico’ without increasing detention and surveillance in their place. In Harris County, youth took action demanding an end to all forms of collaboration with ICE which criminalize immigrants for detention and deportation. .
Susie Lujano, Member of United We Dream, said:
“As a DACA recipient and a new mom, I’m joining my immigrant community to take action and demand that Harris County end all agreements with ICE that tear our community apart through family separation, detention, and deportation. My greatest fear as a mother is being deported and instantly separated from my newborn baby. I took action today because our vision of our future is clear: we MUST reimagine safety by funding our communities. President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas must terrorizing our immigrant community by ending 287(g) agreements, closing immigration detention centers, and prohibiting further investment in dangerous surveillance tech. In Houston, it is imperative that our leaders also stop collaborations with local enforcement that puts so many immigrants at risk of detention and deportation by federal immigrantion enforcement.”
Steven Wu, Organizing & Policy Manager of Woori Juntos, said:
“For these 25+ years, an impacted and formerly incarcerated Vietnamese community member who I’ve worked with, told me of the constant fear and pain he, his wife, and two daughters had to face every single day because of ICE. Having to reassure and comfort his children that he will be there for them, when he really doesn’t know.
I just want you to close your eyes and put yourself in that position. Forced to be in a new country. No English. No money. No support. Just trying to survive. And then you see this country that was presented as a beacon, tear everything apart. We must end this violence now. ”
Maria Camila Trujillo, Campaign Manager in Houston with Workers Defense Project, said:
“Undocumented construction workers in Texas are twice as likely as US-born workers to be retaliated against with threats of calling ICE or other law enforcement after exercising their workplace rights. Construction workers were deemed essential workers and as such deserve to live without the fear of deportation and family separations looming over them. Local governments like Harris County must end collaborations with ICE if our elected officials are serious about their commitment to protecting essential workers.”
