Immigration Activists Rally Against Texas Attorney General Paxton As He Visits Houston

DACA recipient and immigration activist Damaris Gonzalez speaking to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: Courtesy of United We Dream

Immigration activists rallied in Houston Tuesday against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, as he addressed a republican organization.

They were mad that he is urging the federal government to eliminate a program that prevents some undocumented immigrants already in the country from being deported.

A group of about 15 people rallied outside a restaurant near The Galleria shopping mall where Paxton was speaking to the Greater Houston chapter of The Pachyderm Club, an organization affiliated to the Republican National Committee.

They criticized the Texas Attorney General for asking the Trump Administration to phase out the deferred action program, commonly known by the acronym DACA.

Paxton wants the federal government not to issue any more DACA permits and not to renew any of the existing ones.

"You would literally sweep the rug from under their feet, so we hope that it doesn't happen and we’re gonna continue to fight to keep DACA," said César Espinosa, executive director of the group Families and Students in the Struggle (FIEL, by its Spanish acronym) about what would happen if the program were eliminated.

Nonetheless, Paxton noted in a news release issued at the end of June that he is not asking for the deportation of current beneficiaries.

According to data compiled by the government, Texas has more than 120,000 people that have received deferred action permits. That is second only to California.

Damaris Gonzalez, who is a DACA beneficiary herself, managed to speak directly to Paxton inside the restaurant.

"I said: “Why are you trying to deport me?” and he couldn’t have an answer for that, he said: “I am not. I’m trying to do it the legal way”," she explained to Houston Public Media.

Paxton said in a statement that his duty is to defend the Constitution.

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