Dallas, TX – On October 5 at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center in Dallas, Carlos Montes gave a lively talk to a rapt audience of 32 people. A cofounder of the Brown Berets and organizer of the Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War, Montes’ experiences are a rich resource to today’s organizers. The historically Chicano neighborhood of Oak Cliff was a fitting setting for a talk that spanned Montes’ organizing, the origin of the Chicano nation and its right to self-determination, Black/brown unity, and the need for revolutionary organization.

Montes is currently organizing for Chicano and immigrant rights within the Legalization for All Network, and his talk was hosted by a member organization of the network, La Frontera Nos Cruzó, as well as the Dallas chapter of the Brown Berets.

When an attendee asked a question about how to balance the desire to organize with fears of police as undocumented people, La Frontera Nos Cruzó was able to promote their upcoming clinic with a leading Dallas immigration rights lawyer. The clinic will be on October 14 at 2 p.m. at the Grand Prairie Library and is open to anyone with questions about immigration.

#DallasTX #ChicanoLatino #BrownBerets #L4ANetwork #ImmigrantRights

Los Angeles, CA – 30 people gathered at Mariachi Plaza in LA’s Boyle Heights neighborhood, September 15, to demand Texas Governor Greg Abbott comply with the federal judge-ordered removal of buoys at the Río Grande/Rio Bravo. Chanting “Abbott is a liar, remove the racist wire!” and “¿Qué es lo que queremos? ¡Legalización! ¿Cuando? ¡Ahora!” supporters and speakers gathered as part of the week of action called by the Legalization for All (L4A) Network in conjunction with activists in Eagle Pass, Texas, where the buoys were dumped into the river.

The spirited action took place at Mariachi Plaza, as people drove by and honked or waved in support, or shouted their support as they walked by.

The Los Angeles protest was organized by Centro CSO’s Immigration Rapid Response Team which is led by Jordan Peña and Sol Marquez. Peña opened up the event by saying, “I'm from El Paso, Texas, born and raised on the border. I have always known the border to be a place that people cross every single day. People would cross for normal day-to-day activities such as work, seeing family, going out to eat, and this was normal. This was how our society in El Paso functioned.”

Peña continued, “Throughout the most recent years even under the Biden administration we have seen the militarization at our El Paso increase substantially. When I was a kid there were no barbed wire fences, now there are mounds and mounds of barbed wire fences. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas recently put buoys in the middle of the Rio Grande to deter asylum seekers from crossing over.”

After Peña, Jenny Bekenstein, a Teamster Local 396 rank-and-filer spoke, “We stand with those fleeing the destabilization of their home countries, like Guatemala, only to be met with the vicious hammer of U.S. anti-immigrant policies and tactics.”

Then attendees heard from Jose Barrera, who is a DACAmented DREAMer from Michoacán, Mexico. Barrera is an active advocate for immigrant rights, pushing for strong immigration reform in the U.S. Last month, he became the youngest-elected vice president of the League of United Latin-American Citizens (LULAC) in the organization’s history. He is also the first DREAMer to take the same role in LULAC’s history. During the event Barrera said, “The Democrats also need to do more during these violations of human rights at the border. And if they don’t, then we won’t vote for them!”

Gabriel Quiroz Jr. made his first speech ever and represented CSO’s Police Accountability Committee. “As a Chicano I think it’s very important to stand in solidarity with immigrants at our southern border. I am here to demand Governor Greg Abbott immediately remove the razor-covered buoys. I myself am the son of immigrants, my dad is from Nayarit, Mexico, and so are my grandparents. We stand in solidarity with all in Eagle Pass and those attempting to cross the border.”

Also speaking at the event were Aaron Reveles from the Peace and Freedom Party and Antonia Montes, representing Centro CSO’s education committee. Ending the event was Sol Marquez representing CSO and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Marquez spoke about how her mother crossed the Rio Grande in the 80s. Marquez asked, “What if my mom, like countless other Central Americans, Mexicanos, Haitians attempted to cross today? Would she have been one of the four who recently died by the concertina wire or the death buoys?”

Those participating in the L4A week of action include organizations in Eagle Pass like Border Vigil, Eagle Pass Border Coalition, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and Silicon Valley Immigration Committee (SVIC). If you would like to join CSO, send them a message on social media @CentroCSO on their hotline (323) 484-8630. If you and your organization would like to join the Legalization for All Network, send them a message here: legalizationforall.wordpress.com

#LosAngelesCA #BoyleHeights #L4ANetwork #CentroCSO #USMexicoBorder #EaglePassBorderCoalition #MIRAC

By Sol Márquez and Brad Sigal

Eagle Pass, TX – The Eagle Pass Border Coalition, located on the Rio Grande at the U.S.-México border, teamed up with local partners and with the Legalization for All (L4A) Network to kick off nationwide events with a press conference September 11, at Mission Border Hope in Eagle Pass.

Speakers included representatives from the Eagle Pass Border Coalition and some of their local partners, including Iglesia Lutera San Lucas, the Border Vigil, First United Methodist Church of Eagle Pass, Mission Border Hope, and LULAC Council 22519 of Eagle Pass.

The press conference announced details and scheduled events of the L4A Week of Action, which is running from September 10 to September 16. The week of action will feature various events and activities across the country, such as rallies, marches, vigils, forums, workshops and call-in events.

Jessie F. Fuentes, owner of Epi’s Canoe & Kayak Team in Eagle Pass, said, “A tiny little community on the Texas border has the world’s attention because here is where human dignity and intolerance are clashing. If we allow these atrocities to continue we are headed down a path of destruction.”

The L4A Week of Action demands that Texas Governor Abbott remove the deadly razor buoys from the Rio Grande – buoys which have already led to injuries and deaths of immigrants. The Legalization for All Network stands united among the following pillars: legalization for all of the undocumented now, no racist border wall, no border militarization and no more deaths, stop the exploitation of undocumented workers, stop the separation of families, and stop sterilization and sexual violence against the undocumented.

At the press conference, Eagle Pass native Karyme Flores, a university student in Denton, stated, “What started as a small community effort is evolving. Our story is being heard around the state, country and the world, and people want to help. This action week shows that Eagle Pass is not alone and the good fight will continue!”

The L4A Week of Action is part of a broader movement for social justice and human rights that challenges the oppressive, racist actions of the U.S. government and corporations. The L4A network is composed of dozens of organizations that represent various sectors and communities of immigrants, such as students, workers, women, LGBTQ, indigenous peoples, refugees and asylum seekers.

At the press conference Dr. Adriana Martinez said, “In my hometown of Eagle Pass we are fighting for border communities and immigrants all along the southern border, we are fighting for human rights and for the river. This week of action shows that solidarity.”

You can find more information about the L4A network and the Week of Action at Fight Back News https://www.fightbacknews.org/2023/9/8/remove-buoys-week-action-called-legalization-all-network and Legalization For All https://legalizationforall.wordpress.com/about/ .

The Eagle Pass Border Coalition and the Legalization for All Network are inviting all people who support the cause to join them in this week’s events and activities.

Border Vigil organizer Amerika Garcia-Grewal echoes the invitation, saying, “Those of us that live here on the border know that the Rio Grande is not a line that divides us, but a space that unites us. We are here to stand in solidarity with our partner organizations to advocate for the rights and dignity of all immigrants.”

Current list of events (in formation):

Minneapolis, MN – Wednesday, September 13, 5:30 p.m. Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee at the UMN Student Union protest against border militarization and demanding “Texas Governor Abbott, remove the razor buyouts in front of the Rio Grande, NOW!” Contact MIRAC at miracmn@gmail.com or on social media at @MIRACMN 

San Jose, CA – Thursday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. at 48 S 7th Street #101, San Jose, California. Silicon Valley Immigration Committee Border Educational: Remove the Buoys, Governor Abbott! “In support of L4A’s week of action SVIC is holding an educational at the San Jose Peace & Justice Center on Abbott’s Operational Lone Star and the line of razor-covered buoys dumped into the Rio Grande and the injustices towards immigrants as a result.” Contact SVIC on Instagram @SVImmigrationCommittee 

Los Angeles, CA – Friday, September 15, 5 p.m. at Mariachi Plaza 101 N Boyle Avenue, Los Angeles, California. “Join the Centro CSO immigration rapid response team as we hold a protest demanding the judge-ordered removal of the buoys and concertina wire at the Rio Grande and legalization for all now. Bring a poster and join us!” Contact CSO at (323) 484-8630 CentroCSO@gmail.com or @CentroCSO on social media.

For inquiries or interviews, please contact the Eagle Pass Border Coalition at +1-830-294-8380 or epbordercoalition@gmail.com and Legalization for All Network at 323-401-0433 legalizationforall@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram @LegalizationForAll and X @LegalizeForAll.

#EaglePassTX #L4ANetwork #MIRAC #USMexicoBorder

Eagle Pass, TX – Since the creation of Operation Lone Star in 2021, various tactics have been used to further militarize the U.S./México border.

On July 7, 2023, a floating border wall made up of buoys was installed at the Rio Grande. The buoys are equipped with razor-sharp saws between each, and barbed wire to seriously injure and even kill people who attempt to cross over them. Swimming under them is also impossible; they are anchored to the shallow waters of the Rio with cables and unable to be moved. The $1 million buoys have already caused at least four deaths, one a miscarriage. Sadly, the nationality and names of the victims are unknown.

The Legalization for All Network (L4A) is calling on all who are indignant of this tactic to mobilize an action the week of September 10-16. This week will be to support the removal of the floating border buoys and to call attention to the horrible damage they’ve already done. The Department of Justice in July filed a lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott because the buoys violate the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. On Wednesday, September 6 a federal judge ruled that Texas must remove the buoys from the Rio Grande and halt any further construction on the river.

Organizations from Minneapolis, Chicago, Texas, San Jose and Los Angeles are mobilizing now to demonstrate their solidarity with the Central American, Mexican and various other refugees attempting to cross the border through the Rio Grande. Others are mobilizing calls to President Biden at (202) 456-1111 and Greg Abbott (512) 463-1782 to demand the removal of the 1000 feet of lethal buoys.

Legalization for All is partnering with other U.S./Mexico border organizations and with activist and business owner Jesse Fuentes. Fuentes provided a kayak fact-finding tour with the press shortly after the buoys were installed and helped in the lawsuit against Texas. Fight Back! recently spoke with him and he said, “Operation Lone Star has been causing havoc for two years now, they are trying to suppress Mexican-Americans on this side and those who attempt to cross from México. How much money will they pour into these terrible tactics?”

If you are interested in participating, message legalization for all now on Instagram @LegalizationForAll, X @LegalizeForAll, or send them an email at LegalizationForAll@gmail.com

#EaglePassTX #USMexicoBorder #L4ANetwork