Tomorrow, Jan 14th, LOCCA will be participating with DACA youth, immigrant right groups, community members, people of faith, and labor advocates for a a National Day of Action to prevent the deportation of Houston immigrants by winning local policy changes for the City of Houston and Harris County, and by preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program; a program that currently protects more than 60,000 Houston immigrants and provides peace of mind and safety to families across the United States.
We will remind Mayor Sylvester Turner of his December 2016 commitment to implement policies that provide safety for Houston’s immigrant families. They will remind Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of his campaign promises to #end287g and Harris County’s unjust collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and will re-emphasize the importance of DACA for our communities by amplifying the stories of DACAmented people and showing public support.
Come to MECA, (1900 Kane st. Houston, 77007) at 10:30am, Saturday, Jan 14th to join with immigrants and people of conscience to raise their voice to declare that they will stand in the way of deportations, racial profiling, criminalization, and hatred. #houstonishome #heretostay
https://www.facebook.com/events/370327446664182/
The beginning of our ERA OF RESISTANCE, Saturday, Jan 14
Yes, this is just the beginning. There was a large turnout for this small space: at least 200. Members from the immigrant rights community, labor unions, student, family and children. There were a few speeches and a symbolic demonstration of what to do with a wall erected for racial reasons: break it down!
The best part of the day (in my view) was listening and recording the personal testimonies from people from all walks of life. They asked the mayor and city council to make this city safe for immigrants, with pro-immigrant policies and a withdrawal by our Houston law enforcement departments from the non-binding agreement (287g) with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement by agencies. Most touching was a place for children to make their own superhero capes and to emblazon (finger paint) with messages of hope.