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News and Views from the People's Struggle

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By staff

Members of the Legalization for All Network delegation at Eagle Pass, Texas.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Eagle Pass, TX – Members of the Legalization for All (L4A) Network from Los Angeles, Dallas and Minneapolis traveled to the border towns of Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México from February 23-25.

They went to show solidarity with immigrants and activists there fighting against Texas Governor Greg Abbott's racist, anti-immigrant attacks. The Eagle Pass Border Coalition hosted the delegation. The Legalization for All delegation was there just days before Donald Trump went to Eagle Pass to spread racist anti-immigrant rhetoric.

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By staff

Eagle Pass, TX – Grassroots organizers from Legalization for All Network affiliates in California, Texas and Minnesota are on their way to the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas to learn from and support local organizers doing the work to feed, house and support immigrants and refugees in this town on the U.S./Mexico border.

Tensions have risen in Eagle Pass as Governor Greg Abott of Texas has continued to heavily militarize the border there, with Texas National Guard troops continuing to occupy Shelby Park along the Rio Grande River in defiance of federal court rulings and community demands that they leave.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Legalization for all Network.

!!Emergency Action!!

Call Biden and your two senators:

Stand Up to Anti-Immigrant, Racist Republicans!

In Eagle Pass, Texas, Governor Abbott, with support from Trump and other Republicans in Congress, are refusing to allow Federal Customs and Border Patrol agents to remove the deadly razor wire in the Rio Grande at Shelby Park. Texas lost their case at the Supreme Court, resulting in an ongoing standoff. Additionally, Governor Abbott has deployed the Texas National Guard to occupy 47 acres of Shelby Park. This occupation has led to at least three recorded deaths — the drowning of a mother and her two children. The Guard blocked Border Patrol from rendering aid to them and stood back as the three drowned. President Biden called on Abbott to also remove the Guard as immigration is a federal matter, but Abbott has refused to comply.

At the same time, Congress is coming closer to reaching an immigration deal. Republican House Speaker Johnson warned of stopping the deal and holding back further military aid to Ukraine and Israel, if the deal did not include stronger border enforcement. Current reports have read that if passed, the deal would dismantle key asylum protections, allow the president the power to “close the border” if a threshold of immigrants crossing is reached, and increase swift deportations. It is vital for Biden, the Democrats, the Senate, and the general public to stand up against these increasing racist attacks on immigrants by the Republicans.

We must denounce the growing oppressive, anti-immigrant sentiment the Republicans are whipping up targeting refugees from Central America, Mexico, Haiti, and South America. Now more than ever, we must support human rights activists in Eagle Pass who are seeing tremendous rise of immigration activity.

Make your THREE phone calls to:

President Biden and demand that he stand with immigrants against these racist Republican attacks! (202) 456-1111

Script: “My name is —- calling from (City/State) urging President Biden to side with the undocumented and put a stop to racist, anti-immigrant Republicans like Texas Governor Abbott who is leading countless atrocities and attacks against refugees! Don’t back down now Biden! Put a stop to human rights violations against the undocumented, legalization for all now!”

Send President Biden an email: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Your TWO senators and demand they vote AGAINST further funding Ukraine, Israel and border militarization.

Look up your senators’ phones and emails:

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Script: “My name is ___ and I am a (YOUR STATE) resident. I urge the Senator to vote NO on the proposed funding bill that would severely restrict asylum rights, increase swift deportations, and provide billions of dollars to Israel to continue the genocide of Palestinians. The Senator must show they stand against attacks on immigrants to push a political agenda. The Senator should work toward an end to US aid for war and refuse to trade immigrant rights for further funding of death, destruction, and displacement.”

#ImmigrantRights #L4A #USMexicoBorder

By staff

Protest against border militarization. | Fight Back! News/staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by the Legalization for All Network.

The Legalization for All (L4A) network denounces the latest actions by the state of Texas at the Eagle Pass/U.S. border. The Texas National Guard, under the direction of Republican Governor Greg Abbott, began an occupation on January 10, 2024 of 47 acres at a public place of gathering — Shelby Park. These actions have led to injury and death of at least three immigrants attempting to cross into the U.S. at Shelby Park. The three died from drowning and Border Patrol agents who were attempting to help them were blocked by the National Guard.

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By staff

Dallas, TX – The Legalization for All Network is asking all to express their anger December 1 against the racist Texas Senate Bill 4.

SB 4 would make it a state crime to cross into Texas from Mexico without proper documentation, allowing Texas law enforcement to arrest anyone they think might be undocumented. The U.S. Supreme Court’s case 2012 Arizona v. The United States however, ruled that only the federal government can enforce immigration laws, not police, sheriff’s deputies, or state troopers. Therefore constitutionally, law enforcement does not have the power to racially profile or deport. Nobody has to prove citizenship status or provide any immigration documents to a law enforcement officer.

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By staff

LA protest demands an end to attacks on immigrants. | Fight Back! News staff

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.

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By Sol Márquez

Valeria Wheeler, the executive director of Mission: Border Hope.  | Eagle Pass Border Coalition

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.

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By staff

Sept 10-16 Week of Action Remove the Buoys, Governor Abbot

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.

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By Montana Hirsch

Minneapolis protest against border militarization.

Minneapolis, MN – On May 18, more than 30 immigrant rights activists gathered with banners at the corner of Lake Street and Chicago Avenue for an emergency response rally. The rally was initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) after President Biden announced that the administration was sending 1500 more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Troops have already been sent under the guise of dealing with the aftermath of the end of Title 42, a Trump-era immigration policy that ended last week on May 11.

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By Montana Hirsch

Legalization For All delegation at Casa de Luz

Tijuana, Mexico – On April 2, a group of activists from the Legalization For All network crossed the U.S.-Mexico border to witness the effects of U.S. border militarization. The group met with Robert Vivar, binational coordinator at VÍA Internacional, and Aída Amador, coordinator of VÍA Migrante. They visited the Unified U.S. Deported Veterans Office, the border wall at Friendship Park on the Tijuana side, and the Casa de Luz LGBTQ+ immigrant collective house.

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