Washington, DC – Texas and national media outlets are amplifying the key takeaways from yesterday’s America’s Voice press call (press release and audio recording here) condemning Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s relentless nativism and dangerous reliance on “invasion” rhetoric.
As Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) stated on yesterday’s call: “The use of migrants as a prop is nothing new, but it has gotten more dangerous. I am very concerned for communities like mine that we will see more acts of violence against immigrants, Latinos, and communities on the border because of this kind of rhetoric. It’s unacceptable, inhumane, and reckless.”
And as Greg Casar, Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress, District 35, stated: “Instead of doing anything to help working Texans, Abbott is prioritizing racial profiling, political stunts, and risking the lives of our families.”
Pushback on Gov. Abbott and coverage from yesterday’s call included:
A Border Report article, “Abbott should be held accountable for violence against migrants, advocates say,” Julian Resendiz notes:
“‘What he is doing is very dangerous,’ said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, saying Abbott is embracing and promoting extremism using state resources. ‘I am very concerned that communities like mine will see more acts of violence against immigrants, against Latinos, against residents of the border.’
…Escobar said the use by Republicans like Abbott of the word ‘invasion’ is tragic, given that many of the migrants coming across are mothers with children or people fleeing violence and persecution. ‘It is tragic to hear them call these human beings an invasion. It’s actually very sickening,’ she said. What they’re doing is jumping on a bandwagon they see as popular for electoral politics.’
… ‘The increase in migration year after year is not a new issue, it’s not a new situation,’ Escobar said. ‘It is definitely increasing, there is no doubt about that.’ She added the situation at the border is ‘unsustainable’ but said that is not the result of ‘open borders,’ as the Republicans claim, but rather the failure of Congress to reform immigration laws. ‘Asylum at the border has essentially been shut down. […] People shouldn’t be surprised we have more unauthorized migration if we shut down legal immigration paths’ Escobar said.”
In an El Paso Matters’ article, “Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest executive order, ‘invasion’ rhetoric dangerous, immigration activists say,” Cindy Ramirez writes:
“America’s Voice, the national immigration advocacy organization, organized the press call which included U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso; Antonio Arellano of the youth voting organization NextGen America; former Austin councilman and District 35 congressional candidate Greg Casar; and America’s Voice political director Zachary Mueller.
‘I am very, very concerned for communities like mine that we will see more acts of violence committed against them,’ Escobar said, recalling the El Paso mass shooting of Aug. 3, 2019, where 23 people were killed. The alleged gunman in the shooting drove 10 hours to El Paso to ‘stop the Hispanic invasion of Texas.’
…Arellano, of NextGen America, in the press call said that Abbott and other Republican politicians and candidates for public office across the state are doubling down on the anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. ‘One in three Texans are immigrants or a child of immigrants,’ Arellano said, adding that young voters make up the largest eligible voting block in the state. ‘They are not recognizing our power in Texas.’”
In a Dallas Observer article, “‘Reckless and Dangerous’: Texas Dems and Immigration Advocates Slam Abbott’s ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric,” Simone Carter noted:
“Should there be any violence that is linked to this kind of rhetoric, I would hope that our citizens would hold people like Greg Abbott accountable for that,” she [Rep. Escobar] said. “It’s unacceptable, it’s inhumane, and it is reckless and dangerous.”
“Political ads are turning more nativist in nature and are ‘increasingly violent and dangerous,’ said Zach Mueller, America’s Voice political director. Conspiracy theories about an invasion have been linked to mass shootings in Buffalo, El Paso and Pittsburgh.
Republicans, especially those running in battleground border districts, must speak out against this kind of rhetoric, Mueller argued. ‘These Republican candidates must publicly refute these dangerous ideas,’ he added. ‘Otherwise, they are complicit in the dangerous targets that have been put on the backs of those communities.’”
A Newsweek article by Adrian Carrasquillo, “Abbott Border Order Sparks Fears of ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric, Racial Profiling” notes:
“Mario Carrillo, the campaigns manager for the immigration advocacy organization America’s Voice, told Newsweek that the order recalls the racial profiling of SB-1070, and could make his parents who are U.S. citizens that live in El Paso a target. ‘They don’t really speak English … They thankfully live in a city where they’re not going to be subjected to discrimination because of it … executive orders like this, where Texas DPS [Department of Public Safety] is deputized to do immigration enforcement, my parents might not have ID, they might not understand the questioning … Does that mean they’re going to be sent to a port of entry in El Paso?
Angelica Razo, the Texas state director of Familia Vota, a national grassroots organization, called Abbott’s executive order a ‘horrifying political stunt … This is a terrifying development for all Texas families, given that law enforcement or any individual is now able to target someone because of the color of their skin or their accent,’ she told Newsweek. ‘We demand to hear from the governor how he expects to enforce this law, as it will be very difficult to enforce without racially profiling people.’
