Vol. 71/No. 30      August 20, 2007

One hundred twenty-one people with alleged connections to street gangs were arrested in another immigration roundup the same week. Some were charged with immigration violations, others were U.S. citizens. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dragnet centered in Dallas and included a wide swath of northern Texas. “We don’t deserve this, we’re not terrorists,” said José de Jesús Avalos, a forklift driver here in Farmers Branch. “We go to work every day.”

Local cop agencies from at least half a dozen cities aided ICE agents in the house-to-house sweep. The raids in this Dallas suburb come on the heels of an ordinance prohibiting landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants here. A June 19 injunction has prevented the city from implementing the law. One hundred other cities around the country have similar laws pending.

“Businesses are paying a big price for the laws against undocumented workers,” said Guillermo Estrada, 30, a maintenance worker here. Many immigrants left Farmers Branch after the ordinance was passed. “Look at this place,” he said, pointing to a large apartment complex. “They had 150 empty apartments and had to introduce a $99 a month move-in special,” he said. “And now you can get a three bedroom for a couple of hundred less.”

Estrada said he has experienced “a lot of racism. They arrested me without a warrant, just because I’m Latino,” he said.

“In all parts of Dallas the cops stop you just because you are Hispanic,” Pérez explained. “They ask you for you license and proof of insurance because they know you don’t have them and that you will have to pay fines of $600 or $800.”

“These raids are bad for everybody, of all cultures,” he said. “We all need to unite to stop this.”

Bernadino Flores contributed to this article.
 
 
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Court overturns anti-immigrant law in Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Illinois ‘migra’ law sparks protest
Workers pack Virginia meetings protesting immigration crackdown
New Jersey vigil, protest counter anti-immigrant rally  
 
 
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