Arizona Activists Join the Texas Fight Against SB4

Media Advisory for Monday June 5th

Contact: Tania Mejia, 979-308-9634, tania@jolttx.com;
Armando Carmona, 323-250-3018; armando@ndlon.org

TEXAS: Arizona Activists Join the Texas Fight Against SB4, Call For A Summer of Resistance & Day of Noncompliance

Dallas, TX – On Monday, seasoned activists from the fight against Arizona’s SB1070 will join Texas community leaders and organizations to launch the “Summer of Resistance” against SB-4. Signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Senate Bill 4 sets a dangerous precedent, not only by encouraging racial profiling and prohibiting sanctuary policies but also by criminalizing elected officials who support or endorse these policies.

Since its passage, major organizations and groups from throughout Texas and around the country have been ramping up efforts to challenge its constitutional standing and to prepare local communities for increased enforcement and likely violations to their rights.

Identified as #BastaTexas, the summer of resistance is a call for activists and allies from across the country in an effort to organize and mobilize local community members in defiance of unjust racial profiling and criminalization of immigrants, Latinos, and the African-American community.

WHAT: Press conference

WHERE: Dallas City Hall (lobby), 1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX 75201

WHEN: Monday, June 5, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm CDT

WHO: Karla Quinones, High School Student and Activist
Salvador G. Sarmiento, National Campaign Coordinator, National Day Laborer Organizing Network
Mario E. Luna, Immigration Activist, Pueblo Sin Fronteras
Jackie Vega, Volunteer, Jolt
Marco A. Mejia, Organizer, Jolt

BACKGROUND:

SB4 is the worst “show me your papers” law in the country. It is a much more dangerous than SB1070 in Arizona specifically because of its attacks on elected officials.

Deputizing local law enforcement to enact federal immigration policies is a threat to public safety; it corrodes local authority and allows the federal government to commandeer local institutions.

These types of laws encourage racial profiling and targeting of immigrants, their families and children. This legislation will not only have an impact to immigrants, it will affect Latino and Mexican-American Tejanos who have lived in the state for generations; African Americans who already face a disproportionate impact when encountering police will be further impacted.

SB4 Criminalizes elected officials that express dissent, it makes it illegal to support or work to advance sanctuary policies in support of the rights of immigrants.

Making it illegal for our elected officials to voice dissent, or to speak freely is an impediment to our democracy and sets a precedent for an authoritarian regime. It is a violation to constitutional protections to free speech and limits the ability of elected officials to advocate on the behalf of their constituents

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