A Houston grandmother has been detained at an immigration facility since March under what her supporters say are false pretenses, so while advocates will be protesting President Trump’s policies at “No Kings” rallies across the country this weekend, FIEL Houston is taking its demonstration to the CoreCivic correctional facility on Friday.
The immigrant-led civil rights group is planning a “Chant Down the Walls” peaceful protest at 7 p.m. Friday at CoreCivic, 15850 Export Plaza Drive.
Cesar Espinoza, co-founder and executive director of FIEL, said the protest is necessary to show strong resistance to Trump’s forceful deportation practices.
“We’re going to continue to organize against the injustices that are occurring in immigration,” Espinoza said. “We chose the CoreCivic detention center because it’s a place that often gets overlooked in the Houston area but it’s a place where most people who get detained get taken for processing.”
FIEL member Margarita Avila has been held at the center for more than three months, Espinoza said.
“She was arrested under false pretenses for an alleged assault and handed over to ICE,” Espinoza said. “She’s been telling us of the awful conditions inside so we are coming to bring her and the other detainees some hope.”
The FIEL protest is expected to be a “boisterous but peaceful” gathering, Espinoza said.
“Our mission is to get everybody home safe at the end of the day,” he said.
Many Houston immigrants and even Latino community members who have legal citizenship are reluctant to appear at public protests for fear of retaliation, Espinoza said. Anti-immigration protests turned into riots in Los Angeles last weekend as Trump deployed thousands of California National Guard members and U.S. Marines.
Trump backers say the strong military presence was needed to diffuse the situation. Those on the other side of the issue say the gatherings escalated once the President brought in the troops.
Texas National Guard members can be expected at No Kings rallies across the Lone Star State on Saturday, although it’s unclear whether Gov. Greg Abbott is sending them to Houston. The governor announced Thursday that he deployed at least 2,000 Department of Public Safety troopers and 5,000 Texas National Guard soldiers to “assist local law enforcement response to these protests and to maintain law and order,” urging attendees not to mess with Texas law enforcement.
“Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to President Donald Trump’s enforcement of immigration law,” said Governor Abbott. “Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
A No Kings protest is planned to start at 10 a.m. Saturday at Houston City Hall, where attendees are expected to speak out against immigration as well as federal funding cuts to education and healthcare. Espinoza said FIEL Houston reached out to the No Kings organizers, asking to speak at the event, and were told they already had a set agenda.
Both Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor John Whitmire rejected an offer from U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt to send federal resources.
“I have full confidence in our local law enforcement agencies, which are fully equipped and prepared to safeguard peaceful demonstrations, while ensuring the well-being of all involved,” Hidalgo said in a statement.
Houston Police Department officers have confirmed they’ll be on site for the No Kings event Saturday. A spokeswoman for the Harris County Sheriff’s Department said the office is aware of the public demonstrations planned this weekend and is coordinating with area partners to ensure public safety.
“Harris County has a long history of people exercising their right to protest peacefully while respecting opposing viewpoints, and I fully expect Saturday’s demonstrations to continue that legacy,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in a statement.
“At the same time, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office stands ready to react swiftly and effectively to any actions that threaten public safety or property. We respect people’s right to peacefully demonstrate, but we have zero tolerance for those who would resort to violence or destruction.”
Thirteen protestors were arrested in Austin earlier this week and police reportedly fired tear gas into a portion of the crowd that refused to leave. Houston’s protests are not expected to be violent, just an opportunity for protesters to express their opposition, organizers have said.
Trump has been criticized for the soaring number of detainees arrested proactively by ICE, some of whom were documented, rather than those illegally crossing the border, according to reports.
Earlier this week, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement snatched up people in Houston courtrooms who were seeking legal asylum. Espinoza said the Trump administration’s approach to deportation is the most aggressive he’s ever seen.
“It used to be a good thing to get your case dismissed because it meant that the federal government was not trying to prosecute you anymore,” he said. “Now it’s a bad thing because as soon as you leave court, you don’t really have status, even though you may be pending for asylum or a petition. ICE agents are taking advantage of this and waiting for people right outside the courtroom.”
“We don’t think it’s lawful,” he added. “We think it’s cowardly.”
