Austin, TX – Approximately 20 community members gathered in front of Travis County Jail on Saturday, June 13 in a show of solidarity with those resisting in Delaney Hall and Adelanto ICE processing facility. The rally was organized by La Frontera Unida (LFU), a member of the Legalization for All Network (L4A), as a part of L4A’s Weekend of Action Against Immigration Detention Centers.

LFU targeted the Travis County Jail because Travis County Commissioners and Sheriff Sally Hernandez continually hold people suspected to be in the U.S. “illegally” past their release date, in order to give ICE time to pick them up from jail.

La Frontera Unida president, Jesse Valdelamar, broke down the shameless submission of Travis County to Greg Abbott and Donald Trump: “When Sheriff Hernandez complies with the state in executing an immigration hold against community members, she is handing them over to a murderous system. Detained people are denied their basic human rights, medical care, adequate food, water. When people die because of these cruel conditions, no one is held accountable. Not the agents! Not the sheriffs! Not the commissioners!”

Valdelamar continued, “The people in Delaney Hall understand this reality. They are risking their own wellbeing because they know that collaboration with ICE is collaboration with death. These detainees have every right to resist their oppression, and it is our duty to assist them. For Sheriff Hernandez, the Travis County commissioner, this is our demand. This is not a request. Free our people! Free them all now!

In between speeches, the rallygoers chanted “Se ve se siente el pueblo está presente!” and “What do we want? ‘Legalization!’ When do we want it? ‘Now!’” Several people released from jail for unrelated reasons stopped to chat with organizers and a couple joined in on chants and took pictures with the signs and banners.

Mia Reballosa of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization pointed out, “La migra’s violence has one simple goal, fear and submission. Instead of listening to the people, of uplifting and supporting its people, the U.S. has decided to continue its longstanding tradition of beating its own people into submission with the goal of continued exploitation.”

LFU is continuing its campaign to end the Austin Police Department's collaboration with ICE, and will hold its first Barrio Walk on June 27.

#AustinTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #LFU #L4A

Austin, TX – On Thursday morning, May 7, community members packed the Austin City Council meeting to demand that the city take action to stop local police collaboration with ICE. Jesse Valdelamar, of La Frontera Unida, gave public comment on this issue as supporters packed the room with signs with messages such as, “ICE out” and “Legalization for all.” After the public comment, around 25 people rallied outside City Hall.

In his speech, Valdelamar said, “On April 24, this city government shamefully capitulated to the racist demands of Governor Abbott and updated police orders such that officers ‘should, when operationally feasible’ contact ICE over administrative warrants.”

Just before this, Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to withdraw $2.5 million in city funding. Valdelamar said, “If this was really a money issue, we should be talking about cutting back on the millions of dollars in handouts to big business that this city gives out on a regular basis rather than risk sending any of our community members to their deaths in a concentration camp.”

Sameeha Rizvi of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) spoke on how the Trump administration is making claims about ICE taking criminals off the streets. Rizvi said, “I mean so far, if that’s the reason we are going to use, how come we have so many Muslim immigrants who have been detained just because they spoke up on Palestine?”

Rizvi continued, “Let’s be clear. ICE does not make our neighborhoods safer. Agencies that exist to tear families apart have no place in our communities.”

Jake Holtzman, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “These racist politicians are a product and a symptom of a whole rotten system. And that is the system of monopoly capitalism. The capitalists are waging ICE terror, mass deportations and tearing families apart, all to line their own pockets. Shame!”

Holtzman continued, “We need a revolution to kick the capitalists out of power and put working and oppressed people in charge. And our demand is national liberation and self-determination for the Chicano nation here in the Southwest, and full equality for all Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central Americans in the U.S..”

#AustinTX #TX #ICE #ImmigrantRights #LaFronteraUnida

Austin, TX – On Friday, May 1, labor unions and activist and student groups took the streets of downtown Austin for International Workers Day. Around 200 protesters marched on the Capitol building chanting and holding signs in support of immigrants and workers’ rights.

Before the march, the Austin Central Labor Council held a tabling fair through the rain, with many union locals, like IBEW and AFSCME,