COMMENTARY: Anti-immigration laws must be challenged

It seems like just yesterday that I was protesting in Austin against Arizona’s racist bill SB 1070, which was an anti-immigration bill known for its “show me your papers” provision. This was because in 2010, I had the honor of being mentored by a professor who taught me about people power, and the importance of standing up for your community.

While I am a proud Angeleno (born and raised in Hawthorne), I didn’t quite have that protesting spirit built in me yet. Perhaps it took me living in a state that is completely opposite to California to become more politically active.

But just because I lacked this involvement does not mean I wasn’t politically conscious of anti-immigration efforts in the past. I can still recall when conservative Pete Wilson was the governor of our state, making it difficult for immigrants (and their children, like me) to be here. 

In addition, I spent some of my formative years in Miami (that’s actually where I truly learned Spanish). While the majority of that city was (and continues) to be largely Latino-dominated, it was still ruled by white politicians. Finally, I also lived in Tejas for seven years; while I was fortunate enough to live in the city which is considered a “blue dot in a sea of red,” I could observe the restrictions being placed on the Texas-Mexico borders. I could tell that both of these states upheld conservative politics that went against immigrants (and Brown people in general). In each state, I learned not only about different Latino groups, but also the unique politics of each location.

But Californians should pay attention to what is happening in Texas with legislation that would allow all police officers to deport undocumented immigrants. This legislation would embolden Texan police officers to deport people who they suspect are in the U.S. without legal documentation. The failure to even debate on this initiative is what fueled Texas state Rep. Amando Walle (D-Houston) to challenge fellow representative Cody Harris (R-Tyler). Specifically, Walle urged Harris to “let us debate.”

While debating this law would have been democratic, the bigger issue is the xenophobia behind the legislation. Essentially, Texas is trying to convert their law enforcement officers into border control agents. In other words, Texas is overstepping their state authority by attempting to grant their police officers federal powers. These efforts of keeping migrants out further separates us and, worse, puts such lives in danger. Furthermore, this divide and conquer mentality leads to more violence and anti-immigrant attitudes. The bottom line is that Texas is approving racist laws and acting above the (state) law. 

These anti-immigrant policies are not new concepts to us in California. In the 1990s, then-Gov. Wilson passed Prop. 187, which attempted to deny social services to undocumented immigrants. And Arizona’s SB 1070 was a law that would’ve allowed police officers to verify one’s immigration status if they suspected a person was undocumented. 

These particular laws have the same goal: to keep immigrants out of the U.S. They have another goal – to strip away rights from Latinos, to other us, and criminalize our presence even if we are U.S. citizens. 

What makes the Texas law worse than what happened in Arizona and California is the presumption of guilt associated with someone for simply looking “suspicious.” 

When these nationalistic rules are passed, we, as Latinos, are dehumanized. We are belittled despite our tremendous contributions to this country. We are made to feel like we are not “good enough” to be here, when the fact is, we are. Many of us have always been here.

Besides these negative feelings that Latinos feel from these political actions, what are the other end results of these laws? 

The legislation to give local law enforcement the authority to deport immigrants has passed the Texas House and Senate and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Gregg Abbot. 

It’s certain these Texas laws will face legal challenges. California’s Prop 187 was later found to be unconstitutional. And Arizona’s SB 1070 was struck down by the Supreme Court. Specifically, in June, 2012, the highest court in the land decided that states may not implement their own immigration laws. In other words, states do not have absolute freedom to pass any kind of laws they please. So the future of the Texas laws are uncertain but with a far-right U.S. Supreme Court who knows what may happen.

Brown bodies continue to be attacked by police. They falsely assume many of us are undocumented. As a Latino, you may be presumed guilty before proven innocent. This assumption is wrong due to its unfairness. Such stereotypes certainly do “hurt us personally,” as Walle expressed, since it shames us, simply for being Latino. And what is worse is that these laws empower others to commit violence against Latinos. Such examples of this include the Texas mass shooting and hate crime by a white supremacist at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019.

We must speak up against these injustices. If it’s happening in Texas, it could resurface in California through a variety of ways. We can participate in demonstrations and protests to show our strength in numbers. 

We can also support Latino politicians like Rep. Walle, who uphold the values of our community. With election season upon us, voicing our opinions means voting for representatives who will go to battle for us. We need leaders who will continue to oppose bigotry against Latinos. Such representation means making sure that democratic processes continue, such as having debates, despite the predictable outcomes. 

Perhaps once we see more agents of change like us, like Walle, who demand justice and accountability, can we then begin to feel human. Perhaps then, we’ll finally have politicians who truly understand the perils that Latinos face. Ideally, by fighting such anti-Latino efforts, we would see an end to such venomous state laws.