PHOTO/FIBONACCI BLUE
AUSTIN, TX – On Feb. 10, as part of a sweep through 12 states, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained dozens of people in the Austin region and more than 680 immigrants nationwide. While the sweep ostensibly targeted “public safety threats,” reports later showed that most of those arrested in the Austin area did not have criminal records.
The raids in Austin fueled speculation that Austin was singled out because of the stand recently elected Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez took. Hernandez said her office would not hold undocumented inmates for possible deportation, except in cases of certain violent crimes. As a result of Hernandez’ stand, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state to withhold $1.5 million from Travis County, where Austin is located. That money was to be used for family violence education and a special court for veterans.
Some people in Austin were arrested at their homes. Some who came to the Travis County courthouse to take care of unrelated legal matters were arrested by ICE at the courthouse as they left. One woman whose husband was arrested at the courthouse told the Texas Tribune, “He didn’t even get to say goodbye to me, or to his son, because now we don’t even know where he is going to be.” She also said that her husband was arrested with their rent money in his wallet, totaling $1,300. When agents returned his belongings to her, the money was missing.
Across Texas and the country, people are standing up to defend the immigrant workers. Churches, unions, community groups, and individuals of every nationality, documented and undocumented, are coming together in defense of the immigrants. The first week in February, the Texas legislature began hearings on SB 4, a bill that would ban sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants in the state. More than 500 people from all over the state testified against SB 4. The Senate has approved the bill, and it is now pending in a House committee.
People defending immigrants is an important development. The immigrant workers are part of our working class, and the attack on them is an attack on every worker. Deporting immigrants will not create the jobs we need. We, the people, are in a fight with the billionaires and corporations over who will run this country and who the government will serve. We cannot allow the billionaires to divide us if we hope to win that fight.
Bob Lee is a professional journalist, writer and editor, and is co-editor of the People’s Tribune, serving as Managing Editor. He first started writing for and distributing the People’s Tribune in 1980, and joined the editorial board in 1987.
