Opponents of Arizona’s new immigration law had a message for President Barack Obama at a rally Saturday at the Capitol in Austin.”Obama, you went back on your promise to promote family values,” said Michael Chavez of Houston.
“Deporting and separating family members is not an American value,” he said. Arizona’s immigration law, known as SB 1070, makes being an illegal immigrant a state crime and requires legal immigrants to carry papers that confirm their legal status.
Chavez, a veteran, said that people should remember Mexican immigrants are fighting for the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several generations of his family have fought for the United States, including his grandfather, who fought in World War II, and his son, who just returned from Iraq, he said.The rally National Day of Action Against SB 1070 drew a few hundred people, in contrast to the thousands of people who attended a rally at the Capitol against SB 1070 on May 1.
Many supporters in Austin went to Phoenix to participate in the protest there Saturday, said Amalia Martinez, a member of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition.Speakers at the rally said Obama should have already pushed the immigration reform he promised in his campaign through Congress.”If he wants to be re-elected, he needs to stop SB 1070,” Martinez said.
People from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and even Phoenix came to the rally in Austin.Justine Hecht said she and her boyfriend, Joe Sawinski, both from Phoenix, were just passing through Austin on a trip when they decided to come to the rally.They had already protested against the law in Arizona, but they said it was easier to express their views in Austin.”There’s just so much tension in Arizona right now,” Hecht said.
About 11 members from the Southwest Public Workers Union in San Antonio attended the rally, including Chavel Lopez, who said the Arizona law is racist.Jeff Gillum, who also attended the rally, said he supported Arizona’s law.”Immigrants have put a drain on health care and law enforcement,” Gillum said.The Austin City Council decided May 13 to end its business and travel ties with Arizona to protest the new law.Speakers at Austin’s rally Saturday said some Texas state legislators wanted to pass the same law as Arizona.”We will stop it in Texas, and we will stop it in Arizona,” said Gloria Rubac of Houston.”This is a civil rights issue for all of us.”
Santosamaru 