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Immigration

May 30, 2017

Rinaldi

Texas Republican Called ICE on 'Show Me Your Papers" Law Protesters, Threatened to Shoot Colleague

On the last day of our regular legislative session, amidst a peaceful protest to resist racist “show me your papers” SB 4, Tea Party Republican Matt Rinaldi of Irving told a group of Latino lawmakers he called ICE to deport the protestors. And it didn’t...

May 26, 2017

Call Greg Abbott Progress Texas number

Call Gov. Abbott Today to Stop Attacks on Texans' Fundamental Rights

Abortion Access

Unless you look like the vast majority of Republicans in the Texas Legislature — an older, wealthy-ish, white man — you were screwed over this session. They’ve gone after immigrants, people of color, women, LGBTQ Texans, vulernable kids, non-Christians —...

May 16, 2017

SB4 blog.jpg

Local Leaders From Across Texas Launch “Summer of Resistance”

A broad coalition of community leaders, grassroots organizations, local and state elected officials from cities across the state — Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, El Paso, and the Rio Grande Valley — have launched the “Summer of Resistance,”...

May 12, 2017

Glenn QR

Ken Paxton’s Double Standard

The contrast is enlightening. Let’s compare the legal avenues open to Attorney General Ken Paxton in his criminal securities fraud cases to the police-state, judicial road-closings he argues for in his SB4, anti-sanctuary city federal petition. Paxton...

May 9, 2017

No SB4

ACLU Fights Back Against Texas GOP’s Racist ‘Papers Please’ Law

Two days after Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 4, Texas’ anti-immigrant “show me your papers” bill, into law — Texans are fighting back. In addition to the legal challenges that are expected to be — and already have been — filed against this...

May 5, 2017

Geren

SB4 Backers Curiously Aren't Barking About its Constitutionality

Ed. note: the following column was originally published in the Austin Chronicle. The silence is deafening. As members of the Texas Legislature debated the so-called 'Sanctuary Cities' bill, none of its backers claimed it to be constitutional. Given the...

April 27, 2017

The Fight Against Anti-Immigrant SB4 in Texas

As Republicans in the Texas House — emboldened by Trump in the White House — passed a racist, anti-immigrant "show me your papers" bill, Senate Bill 4, Democrats stood united to fight this hateful piece of legislation for 16 hours, while activists took...

April 27, 2017

quorum report

So Much for GOP’s Sanctimonious ‘Rule of Law’ Chant

While chanting, “Rule of Law, Rule of Law, Rule of Law,” Republicans in the Texas House voted to void U.S. Constitutional guarantees against unlawful imprisonment. In case these lawmakers haven’t recently read the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, I...

April 2, 2017

Border Wall

Will Bigger Border Wall Help Texas?

Ed. note: the following column was originally published in the Austin American-Statesman. Image is an original illustration by artist M. Scott Byers. Back in 2014, then-Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott said he was “deeply concerned...

March 21, 2017

ICE raids

FOX 7 Debate: ICE Retaliation Raids

A federal judge in Austin says ICE officials told him a major ICE operation was ordered because of Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez's so-called "sanctuary city" policies at the county jail.

March 17, 2017

sb4 testimony

Testimony against SB4

Watch 5 clips of brave testimony against the anti-immigration, Senate Bill 4, from the Senate hearing. Despite overwhelming opposition, Texas Republicans in the Senate passed the bill on to the House. Now we wait for a Texas House to take up the bill.

March 1, 2017

Rep. Anchia

Texas Progressive Rep. Anchia Takes Incredible Stand on House Floor

On the first day of debate on the Texas House floor, Rep. Rafael Anchia (D- Dallas) took to the mic to deliver an incredibly powerful speech blasting Texas Republicans’ anti-immigrant agenda. Watch his response to an amendment that would have barred Child...

December 2, 2016

Donald Trump Immigration Nightmare for America

Fate of the Golden Door--Trump and Immigration

Economic Opportunity

Ed. note: The following column was originally published in the Austin American-Statesman. Image is an original illustration by artist M. Scott Byers. We wrap our words for pathways to hoped-for futures in metaphors of treasure. Immigrants came to America...

October 3, 2016

The Right's Unholy Attacks on Nonexistent 'Sanctuary Cities'

Ed. note: the following column originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman. The first settled towns that began to appear on earth some 11,000 years ago were founded as sanctuaries for human life. Call them “sanctuary towns.” The word “sanctuary”...

August 19, 2016

Texas Immigrant Families Can Get Birth Certificates

Texas' Immigrant Families Win Federal Suit, Can Obtain Birth Certificates

Texas families won a major immigration settlement recently, ensuring Texas-born children can get into school and receive basic vaccinations. In another overzealous immigration crackdown, Texas Republicans had passed rules making it almost impossible for...

June 27, 2016

Immigration SCOTUS ruling

The SCOTUS Immigration Ruling - A Kafkaesque Conclusion to the Battle Over DAPA and DACA

Ed. Note: This column was originally published in the Quorum Report and is republished here with permission. Taken together, this week’s U.S. Supreme Court decisions in two cases originating in Texas seem to say, “No worries that the University of Texas...

June 23, 2016

Immigration SCOTUS ruling

SCOTUS Non-Decision on Obama’s Immigration Policies Shows Why Courts Matter

The Supreme Court was split 4-4 today on United States v. Texas , which means that millions of immigrant families are now living in uncertainty . The court’s split decision highlights the need for Senate Republicans to do their jobs and confirm a justice...

January 19, 2016

SCOTUS Will Take Up Obama's Actions to Keep Immigrant Families Together

SCOTUS Will Take Up Obama's Actions to Keep Immigrant Families Together

The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will take up the case on President Obama's executive order on immigration this spring, with a ruling expected in June of 2016. The court's ruling will determine the fate and future of five million undocumented...

September 29, 2015

The Devastating Landscape of Reproductive Healthcare for Latinas in Texas

Seven Ways Republicans Are Failing Latinas on Reproductive Health Care

Abortion Access

Latinas make up more than 40% of women of childbearing age — 2.5 of 5.7 million — in Texas. And by every measure and on every front, from access to contraception and sex education to cancer screenings and abortion care, Texas Latinas experience a...

September 25, 2015

Yogi Berra, Birthright Citizen

Article first appeared in The Quorum Report. Yogi Berra was one of the most colorful and accomplished Americans of all time on any field of play, and he was apparently a birthright U.S. citizen. Yogi was born in 1925 and 1930 U.S. Census records show that...