HOUSTON – Catholic Charities, a non-profit organization, has announced the layoff of 120 employees in the Houston area who were working to assist refugees seeking asylum in the United States. This decision follows President Donald Trump’s suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program, which provided a pathway for refugee resettlement.
In response, a demonstration took place east of downtown Houston, showing solidarity and support for immigrants in need.
The event, titled “From Houston with Love,” was organized by Cesar Espinosa with FIEL. He emphasized the intention to demonstrate Houston’s multicultural solidarity and its vibrant, ethnically diverse community.
“What we wanted to do today is show solidarity, demonstrate that Houston, the USA is a vibrant multiculturally ethnic community and together we are showing Houston what real solidarity is about,” Espinosa said.
Rapper and philanthropist Trae Tha Truth expressed his commitment to supporting those on the frontline.
“There’s people that went through a lot of the proper procedures and were at the finish line and now that everything’s suspended it’s like you’re getting everything stripped away from you,” said Trae.
“Immigrants are human beings and as such they deserve dignity, they deserve opportunity to have decency, housing, safety, and security,” said Bishop James Dixon, President of the Houston NAACP.
Christina Delgado, a fourth-generation Texan, shared her family’s history of immigration.
“My abuelito came over in a canoe in the late 1800s, across the Rio Grande and to see all of these policies, these blanket policies that are, racially biased against the Mexican community, the Latino community it’s just really surreal,” Delgado said.
The rally at Guadalupe Plaza lasted a few hours, but organizers emphasized that it represents just a small part of their ongoing mission.
