Hundreds of people took to the streets outside the Capitol in Austin this weekend to protest Governor Greg Abbott’s southern border security initiative, Operation Lonestar, and Senate Bill 4.
The new law grants Texas law enforcement the power to detain individuals they suspect of illegally crossing the border. Detractors argue that this measure may result in harmful racial profiling specifically targeting Latino Texans.
“Local authorities, county authorities are going to be able to now to stop you because of the color of your skin,” said Jessie F. Fuentes, with the Eagle Pass Border Coalition. “It upsets me that legislators in this building behind me knew what they were doing – it’s a violation of the constitution.”
SB4 is scheduled to go into effect on Wednesday.
Many immigrant families are currently engaged in important discussions around their kitchen tables. They are deliberating on whether it is necessary to leave Texas, concerned about their safety if they decide to stay. They are also contemplating the need for their children’s passports and worrying about the potential consequences of being detained on their way to work. Additionally, they are grappling with the question of who will be responsible for picking up their children from school. These are challenging conversations that immigrant families are facing.
The Supreme Court is currently deliberating on whether to grant Texas the authority to enforce immigration laws, a power typically held by federal authorities.
