Hispanic group, Mi Familia Vota, attacks Texas anti-sanctuary law as racial profiling
The following is a response from Carlos Duarte, Texas state director of Mi Familia Vota, on Gov. Abbott signing SB 4, an anti-sanctuary law that encourages racial-profiling:
“As fierce believers in the potential that working together can bring to our country, we are confronted with what Martin Luther King Jr. once called the fierce urgency of now.
“For weeks, we have heard of retaliatory immigration enforcement actions happening in cities across the country taking a stand in defending the right to due process. Austin is one of those cities. The retaliation comes in the form of teary phone calls between heartbroken family members who are now separated by a deportation. For some of us, it is easier to forget the names and the places of where these events are happening – there are too many hashtags to keep track of, too many rallies, too many petitions. The pain can and does take its toll on those of us with a moral conscience that dare to believe our government is a force of good that can work to unite rather than divide.
“The fierce urgency of now, the words of Martin Luther King Jr., ground us in a period of history that unfortunately lives on. SB 4, a thinly veiled show me your papers law, is a throw back to the times when a human being’s worth was determined by what they could verify on paper. We cannot permit this type of dehumanization to continue, we cannot become inured to actions like these that go against our morals. While this law will disproportionately affect people of color, this affects every single person in our state.
“Now is the time to take any action available, whether it is protesting in the streets, exercising our economic muscle, or using our vote at the ballot box. We have power collectively. We must exercise it and hold Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and all the legislators who voted for SB 4 accountable. But more than that, we must recognize that every day we have a role to play in ensuring the values in our Constitution are upheld, and whether we are in Texas or outside of it, we must play our part during this moment in history.”
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