THERE’S NO SUGAR-COATING IT: OUR WAY OF LIFE IS UNDER ATTACK BY OUR OWN STATE GOVERNMENT.
Texas’ hateful new immigration laws – SB 4 – are designed to erase our power and our presence, and are sure to have widespread repercussions for Texans, especially in black and brown communities. So in order to take care of each other, we need to know exactly what’s coming. Right here, right now.
How will the SB 4 laws impact my family and my community?
Racial Profiling
SB 4 authorizes untrained police officers to engage in immigration enforcement, giving every racist cop an excuse to target not just illegal immigrants, but anyone with dark skin
Family Separation
Families belong together. But SB through unconstitutional arrests and deportations, SB 4 will separate parents from their children and rip families apart across Texas
Misuse of Local Resources
SB 4 forces local authorities to redirect already limited resources – including jail space, local tax dollars and time that should be spent protecting communities – to Immigration enforcement (a job of the federal government)
Economic Fallout
SB 4 targets a group of Texans who are responsible for nearly $70 billion in economic activity, and will do nothing for our economy but cripple major industries – agriculture, construction, retail, health care and more – that rely heavily on an immigrant workforce
Unsafe Communities
Due to the fear of arrest or deportation, SB 4 will keep black and brown families (both citizens and non-citizens) from trusting local law enforcement or reporting crimes, leading to less safe communities for all
And that’s just the beginning.
Who will be affected by SB 4?
- Immigrant families.
- People seeking asylum.
- People of mixed status.
- Hard-working taxpayers.
- Dreamers.
- Citizens.
- Black and brown communities.
- Anyone just passing through Texas.
- You. Your neighbors. Your friends. Your loved ones.
- Everyone.
SCENARIOS
How could the new laws play out in real life?
Picture these scenarios:
Oscar is pulled over for a broken taillight.
The officer asks Oscar how he got into this country .
Suspected of being a non-U.S. citizen, Oscar is detained and ultimately deported.
Maya, a U.S. citizen, is stopped while driving her neighbor to the doctor.
Maya’s neighbor cannot provide legal identification or documentation.
Maya is charged with “smuggling” and faces the possibility of a ten-year minimum prison sentence for being a good samaritan.
While driving to pick up the kids from school, Kevin is stopped for unknown reasons.
The officer tells Kevin he was “speeding” and asks to see his license and registration.
When Kevin cannot present a driver license, the officer demands to see Kevin’s papers and arrests him.
Mindy is a student and DACA recipient (Dreamer), who rents out a room in apartment to her undocumented cousin.
Suspecting Mindy of “harboring” illegal immigrants, Mindy’s racist landlord calls the local police.
Mindy is arrested and charged with operating a “Stash House”, facing a minimum of 5 years in prison.
Know Your Rights, Right Now
Immigrant advocacy organizations like LasAmericas.org and concerned Texans like you are actively fighting the unconstitutional SB 4 laws in courts and in our communities. But right here, right now, these are the laws of the land so we must know how to protect ourselves against them. Know your rights.