'No Ban, No Wall!' Crowd Chants At Texas Capitol Amid Anti-Immigration Political Climate

AUSTIN, TX — At least one thousand residents gathered at the south steps of the state Capitol on Saturday afternoon decrying governmental efforts aimed at banning immigrants from entering the country — a key component of Donald Trump's agenda and an effort championed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Dubbed "No Ban, No Wall," the rally was attended by a mosaic of humanity: Women, men and children of various ages and races, all united in a single cause. Speakers at the gathering called for lawmakers to rethink the idea of building a wall along the southern border, condemned efforts to ban people from Muslim-majority countries and decrying bolstered enforcement in Austin of late to seek undocumented immigrants living in the city and readying them for deportation to their country of origin.

Such gatherings have become something of an everyday occurrence locally since the inauguration of Trump, who has acted on the nationalistic themes of his presidential campaign in calling for construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border and for heightened enforcement of immigration laws.

Fueled by Trump's rise, Abbott and his fellow Republican lawmakers have cashed in on the political capital of their leader, with Abbott making the elimination of so-called "sanctuary cities" an "emergency item" of his administration.

Since the second week of February, Austin has seen a sharp uptick in action by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents, who have rounded up more than 50 residents in the San Antonio-Austin region alone. A recent joint report by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV revealed that more people have been detained in Austin for non-criminal offenses than anywhere else in the country — contradicting an earlier claim by ICE that the sweeps being conducted locally were meant to root out high-level offenders accused of felonies.

Given that confluence of events, Austin residents have gathered in solidarity at rallies, prayer vigils, support group sessions and marches voicing not only dismay but resolute pledges of resistance and unity.

Saturday's rally was among the largest thus far, populated with a diverse cross-section of the population. While some rallies have been marked by single focus on the Latino experience in the ongoing immigration crackdown while others have spotlighted the Muslim plight, Saturday's rally yielded a multi-cultural fabric stitched together with common threads of thought.

"We are worried, but not desperate," one speaker told the cheering throngs in Spanish, his words followed with simultaneous English interpretation. "They can push us, but they will never destroy us. No wall can destroy our Latino and Muslim communities! No to deportations! No to this wall of shame!"

Another speaker, a Muslim from Iran, called for Abbott to lawmakers to reconsider their support of SB 4 — the pending bill seeking to end "sanctuary cities" by implementing fines and possible jail time to elected officials not adhering to his directives on strident enforcement of immigration laws.

Unlike Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez and other officials statewide preferring a more nuanced approach with a focus on high-level felons targeted for deportation, Abbott has called for mass deportations of anyone in the country without proper documentation. At a recent hearing of the State Affairs Committee ahead of the bill's filing, most who signed up to air their views spoke against the measure.

"We ask the Texas Legislature to stand down from SB 4," the speaker said to spontaneous boos from the crowd at the subsequent mention of Abbott. "We ask you take seriously the 16 hours of testimony at the State Affairs Committee."

She then led the crowd in a chant: "No ban, no ICE! We demand our human rights!"

Prominent local immigrants advocate Cristina Tzintzun took to the stage with her three-week-old son, noting that she and her undocumented husband aren't able to ensure their child they will be able to remain in the country together given the prevailing climate.

"He's only three weeks old, but this is his third march already," Tzintzun told the crowd as she clutched her child. "I want to give him everything a parent wants to give, but I can't guarantee his father an mother will always be there for him," she added, her voice suffused with emotion. "By the time he was born, he's been called an anchor baby by our leaders."

The penultimate speaker ended the formal presentations with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."

Another speaker added: "We are not just Muslims or Latinos! We are America!" with the second part of the sentiment repeated by the crowd, their collective voices reverberating from the tall entryway to the south foyer of the Capitol building and back onto the 2 1/4-acre grounds.

At that, members of Danza Azteca Guadalupana de Austin in full Aztec apparel — many of them children — took to the stage with their own visceral take often displayed at such gatherings, devoid of words but resonating powerfully with the theme of the day, the rhythm of drums keeping time with their own heartfelt expression.

>>> Photos by Tony Cantú