Report From the Houston East End Raid Protest
Put forth on June 27, 2008 by XicanoPwr
Posted in Immigration
More than 100 community members and organizations met in front of the George Thomas “Mickey” Leland Federal Building yesterday to denounce the raid that took place Wednesday at Action Rags U.S.A. in the heart of Houston’s East End. According to local CBS affiliate, KHOU, agents arrested 166 of the 186 employees. ICE released 73 people who had medical problems or were sole care providers. Another 20 were released by cause they either were here legally or were born here. So here is the break down:
166 - arrested
-20 - released, here legally
———
146 - remaining
-73 - released for medical problems
———
73 - detained
The remain 73 who are detained, 70 of them are women, so only 3 of them are men.
To give you an idea of the area, Houston’s East End is nested between downtown Houston, the Port of Houston, and Hobby Airport. The East End consists of many different ethnic groups, including Hispanic, Asian, Anglo, and African American. Latinos make up more than half of the residents. According to the 2000 Census data: 42.8% live in poverty making under $15,000; 31.3% fall between $15,000 - $29,999; 45.9% have less than 9th grade; and 37.63% are not in the labor force, 25% has little or not English. The Greater East End’s youth live in an area profoundly impacted by poverty and crime.
Protest organizers felt the event was a success. I have to agree. To get over 100 people in short notice is not an easy thing to do here in Houston. Congratulations CRECEN America Para Todos, SEIU, HIWJ, FIEL, and ACORN for a job well done.
The only disappoint I have about the raid, NO local, state or federal official came out to denounce the raid. Where are our leaders?
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Tags: Houston, ICE, Immigration, Round-ups | 
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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