Texas has become “ground zero” in Trump-era, state-level efforts to enact racist, anti-immigrant legislation, following Trump ally Greg Abbott signing “show me your papers” legislation, a bill that if successfully enacted later this year will turbo-boost racial profiling of anyone perceived to be an immigrant. This could become a constitutional disaster in a state where nearly half the population is Latino, leading one immigrant rights group to declare it “as the worst piece of anti-immigrant state legislation we’ve encountered.”
As part of a “summer of resistance” to the legislation, state activists are kicking off a Memorial Day convergence in Austin this weekend to not only strategize against the “show me your papers” legislation, but to also spark a national fight against anti-immigrant agendas like Senate Bill 4. According to one organizer who talked to Buzzfeed, this summer could be the start of a “new civil rights movement”:
“It’s terrible these things have to happen, but they’re a huge wake up call for people who’ve been standing around not engaged,” said Pita Juarez, communications director for One Arizona, which is sending 25 activists to Austin this weekend.
Immigration activists have had success building these sorts of coalitions in the past, albeit on a smaller scale, and are hoping to use those wins as a model for the new movement. For instance, in 2010 Arizona lawmakers passed SB 1070, a sweeping immigration measure that made being undocumented a state crime and required state law enforcement authorities to check the papers of anyone they suspected was undocumented.
The law touched off widespread protests in Arizona, and numerous small, local organizations were formed to fight the law. But it wasn’t until activists realized “everyone was fighting these little battles. Why don’t we fight them together?”
Organizers told Buzzfeed that “as many as a thousand activists” from at least six states plan to conduct trainings and workshops that include “know your rights” sessions for undocumented immigrant communities, which have already proven incredibly effective in protecting some California families from deportation. While many of these “know your rights” trainings have focused on what to do when an immigration agent shows up at your door, organizers also want to help communities know what to do in the event they are stopped by law enforcement and questioned about their legal status, as this bill intends to do.
Taking a state-level approach to the immigration fight makes sense for activists. President Trump’s election based on his hardline immigration stance has emboldened Republican and state legislators across the country, many of whom are expected to pursue bills like the Texas law over the next two years. Organizers told BuzzFeed News that building a network of activists across the country could potentially stop similar legislation from being enacted in the first place.
“This has to be stopped here. If we fail to stop it here, there’s a real fear that it will spread and that deportation forces will spread to other states,” said Jose Garza, Executive Director of the Texas based Workers Defense Project.
Earlier this week, El Paso County, El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles, and the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit against the “show me your papers” legislation, “alleging that SB 4 is a discriminatory, unconstitutionally vague bill that encourages racial profiling and violates protections against unlawful search and seizure”:
“For over a quarter-century, TCRP has successfully challenged discriminatory laws targeting immigrant communities in Texas. SB4 is no different," Efrén C. Olivares, the racial and economic justice director with the Texas Civil Rights Project, said in a statement. "All Texans, regardless of their immigration status, deserve to live free of harassment and discrimination. The 'show me your papers' law targets communities that have been attacked by both the state and federal governments already, further upending the lives of immigrant families throughout Texas."
“Texas must not repeat the mistakes that made Arizona a national pariah,” Olivares added in an Austin American-Statesman op-ed. “Along with our allies, we will fight back against this discriminatory law both in and out of the courtroom.” Organizers have also planned a rally at the Texas capitol for next Monday, with details on the public event below.