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| United We Dream: immigrants march in Houston as supreme court ruling looms United We Dream: immigrants march in Houston as supreme court ruling looms | |
| (4 months later) | |
| As the US supreme court prepares to rule on the future of Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration, a thousand undocumented immigrants and their supporters gathered in the state that has led the way in stalling the president’s attempted reforms. | As the US supreme court prepares to rule on the future of Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration, a thousand undocumented immigrants and their supporters gathered in the state that has led the way in stalling the president’s attempted reforms. |
| The United We Dream national congress, billed as the largest-ever assembly of young advocates for undocumented immigrants, took place in Houston from Friday to Sunday in a climate of heightened tension both locally and nationally. | The United We Dream national congress, billed as the largest-ever assembly of young advocates for undocumented immigrants, took place in Houston from Friday to Sunday in a climate of heightened tension both locally and nationally. |
| Hundreds of activists marched through downtown on Saturday and held a rally outside the Harris County jail. The county sheriff is considering whether to extend an agreement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that sees the sheriff’s office handing over some undocumented inmates to immigration officials, potentially leading to deportations. | Hundreds of activists marched through downtown on Saturday and held a rally outside the Harris County jail. The county sheriff is considering whether to extend an agreement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that sees the sheriff’s office handing over some undocumented inmates to immigration officials, potentially leading to deportations. |
| Protesters called for the contract to be scrapped and hoped for positive news from the supreme court. It could rule as soon as Monday on a challenge brought by Texas and 25 other states to the president’s attempt to expand a programme known as Daca, and start another, called Dapa, which together could provide relief from deportation and work permits for up to 5 million people. | Protesters called for the contract to be scrapped and hoped for positive news from the supreme court. It could rule as soon as Monday on a challenge brought by Texas and 25 other states to the president’s attempt to expand a programme known as Daca, and start another, called Dapa, which together could provide relief from deportation and work permits for up to 5 million people. |
| The plans were blocked by a conservative federal judge in Texas last year in a case that grew increasingly acrimonious. | The plans were blocked by a conservative federal judge in Texas last year in a case that grew increasingly acrimonious. |
| Last week, the judge, Andrew Hanen, backed down from his demand that the Obama administration provide him with the personal details of 50,000 Daca recipients after he accused the government’s lawyers of misleading him. | Last week, the judge, Andrew Hanen, backed down from his demand that the Obama administration provide him with the personal details of 50,000 Daca recipients after he accused the government’s lawyers of misleading him. |
| “There’s some nervousness about it,” said Marco Malagon, a 34-year-old undocumented immigrant. “We know that President Obama had the right authority to do it. We just know that unfortunately, right now, politicians are playing politics with us. So we’re hoping that the supreme court makes a clear decision about this issue and allows our families to move forward with the protection.” | “There’s some nervousness about it,” said Marco Malagon, a 34-year-old undocumented immigrant. “We know that President Obama had the right authority to do it. We just know that unfortunately, right now, politicians are playing politics with us. So we’re hoping that the supreme court makes a clear decision about this issue and allows our families to move forward with the protection.” |
| Malagon came to the US from Mexico in 1999 and now owns a business in the Dallas area. He was at the rally on Saturday, which was peaceful but tracked by a police presence that included two dozen officers in riot protective helmets outside the jail. Despite Obama’s efforts on Daca and Dapa, Malagon described the president’s record on immigration as “despicable”. | Malagon came to the US from Mexico in 1999 and now owns a business in the Dallas area. He was at the rally on Saturday, which was peaceful but tracked by a police presence that included two dozen officers in riot protective helmets outside the jail. Despite Obama’s efforts on Daca and Dapa, Malagon described the president’s record on immigration as “despicable”. |
| Most of the demonstrators wore bright orange T-shirts with the slogan “undocumented and HERE TO STAY”. A handful sported T-shirts with the term “deporter-in-chief”, a label attached to Obama by some critics because of the record number of deportations – of more than 2.5 million people – during his time in the White House. | Most of the demonstrators wore bright orange T-shirts with the slogan “undocumented and HERE TO STAY”. A handful sported T-shirts with the term “deporter-in-chief”, a label attached to Obama by some critics because of the record number of deportations – of more than 2.5 million people – during his time in the White House. |
| Malagon said the rate of deportations, the renewed commitment to family detention and the raids that have led to the removals of families and unaccompanied minors show that Democratic politicians are “portraying themselves as saviours of the undocumented community but they’re not … They don’t really care about communities or families.” | Malagon said the rate of deportations, the renewed commitment to family detention and the raids that have led to the removals of families and unaccompanied minors show that Democratic politicians are “portraying themselves as saviours of the undocumented community but they’re not … They don’t really care about communities or families.” |
| Obama, he said, was partly culpable for nurturing an anti-immigrant environment that has enabled Donald Trump’s Republican presidential campaign to thrive. | Obama, he said, was partly culpable for nurturing an anti-immigrant environment that has enabled Donald Trump’s Republican presidential campaign to thrive. |
| “The immigrant community has definitely seen both presidential candidates as really just a threat to communities of colour,” said Sheridan Aguirre, a communications coordinator with United We Dream. | “The immigrant community has definitely seen both presidential candidates as really just a threat to communities of colour,” said Sheridan Aguirre, a communications coordinator with United We Dream. |
| Aguirre said attendance had doubled from the audience’s last congress, in Phoenix in 2014, partly because of the current political context and as a result of local opposition to the partnership between the sheriff’s office and ICE. | Aguirre said attendance had doubled from the audience’s last congress, in Phoenix in 2014, partly because of the current political context and as a result of local opposition to the partnership between the sheriff’s office and ICE. |
| “I think United We Dream really likes to see these moments as mobilising opportunities,” he said, “because the reality is once again that although we may have presidential candidates that can expand or detract from protections that we’ve won, such as Daca and Dapa, there are protections that we can win locally and statewide that can build to a network of power.” | “I think United We Dream really likes to see these moments as mobilising opportunities,” he said, “because the reality is once again that although we may have presidential candidates that can expand or detract from protections that we’ve won, such as Daca and Dapa, there are protections that we can win locally and statewide that can build to a network of power.” |
| John Acosta said he was a US citizen who travelled from New Mexico to show solidarity as the son of undocumented immigrants. | John Acosta said he was a US citizen who travelled from New Mexico to show solidarity as the son of undocumented immigrants. |
| “We’re advocating that if you are undocumented, you’re not supposed to be afraid. I remember when I was a kid, my parents were always afraid of revealing their status,” he said. | “We’re advocating that if you are undocumented, you’re not supposed to be afraid. I remember when I was a kid, my parents were always afraid of revealing their status,” he said. |
| “Of course, Obama is known as a mass [deporter] but I’m more disappointed in the system, that we haven’t developed a path and that when we do develop certain programmes like Daca and Dapa, then they stall in Congress … | “Of course, Obama is known as a mass [deporter] but I’m more disappointed in the system, that we haven’t developed a path and that when we do develop certain programmes like Daca and Dapa, then they stall in Congress … |
| “Hopefully there will be a path to citizenship. We’re waiting on the decision for Dapa and hopefully that will open up. But even if [it doesn’t], we want to let people know that there’s still a fighting chance – keep on fighting, regardless.” | “Hopefully there will be a path to citizenship. We’re waiting on the decision for Dapa and hopefully that will open up. But even if [it doesn’t], we want to let people know that there’s still a fighting chance – keep on fighting, regardless.” |