Rallying for the rights of immigrants
Demonstators decry ‘Arizona-style’ policies
AUSTIN (KXAN) - The front lawn of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office turned host to a rally on Wednesday.
Immigrant rights groups took aim at Sheriff Greg Hamilton saying that Travis County leads the nation in deporting immigrants who don’t have criminal backgrounds.
Demonstrators said recent federal legislation encourages racial profiling, and disproportionately affects Latino communities.
Austin Rights Group Wants Federal Immigration Agency To Back Off
KEYE-TV-Breaking ICE’s hold on the community, that’s what a group of immigrant rights organizations are calling for in Travis County.
ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is the federal agency that handles border security and deportation proceedings, among other issues.
Austin’s Immigrant Rights Coalition called for separation between this federal agency and the local police departments.
The coalition specifically wants Travis County to amend its participation in the Secure Communities Program. It’s a program that allows a person to be held in jail for up to 48 hours while ICE investigates citizenship and deportation. Local law enforcement agencies usually detain the prisoner for ICE.
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