Release: Border Residents and Immigrant Justice Advocates Denounce Extreme Anti-Immigrant Bills HB7 and HB800

May 16, 2023

As the Texas Senate Border Security Committee considers HB7 and HB800 this Thursday, advocates mobilize calls and people to the Capitol.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 800-245-3046

Contact:

Dani Marrero Hi, LUPE, danim@lupenet.org 

What:

Immigrant rights groups speak out against H.B. 7 and H.B. 800, extreme anti-immigrant bills that could establish Texas’s own border patrol unit, increase criminal penalties for anyone who transports undocumented people near border areas, and fund a costly and unjust separate court system to prosecute migrants and border residents. Texas legislators should not continue to spend billions on further criminalizing immigrants and border communities, but rather invest in real Texan needs such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

When: Press Call 

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10 a.m. CT 

Attendee Number: 800-245-3047

Conference ID: TEXAS

Who: Legal experts and immigrant advocates who live in border areas will be present on this call. See list of speakers below:

  • Fatima Menéndez, Southwest Regional Counsel at MALDEF
  • Nicholas Hudson, Policy and Advocacy Strategist at the ACLU Texas
  • Kristin Etter, attorney at Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (TRLA)
  • Alexis Elicerio, Civic Engagement Organizer at La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) 
  • Betty Camargo, State Programs Director at BNHR and RITA Coordinator
  • Rev. Dan De Leon, Friends Congregational Church of College Station, Texas Impact board representative 

Time for questions will be available after speakers. Advocates will be present in the Texas Senate Border Security Hearing on Thursday, May 18 and are available to speak to press as they educate lawmakers and testify against these bills.

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LUPE is a nonprofit organization that helps the community organize for and win a better quality of life. LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders Cesar E. Chavez and Dolores Huerta. We are a membership-based organization and our strength is found in the participation of our over eight thousand members.