The promise of this country is about free speech and opportunity for all. At the core of our work as human, civil and immigrant rights organizations, that is what we fight for. For decades, we have worked alongside immigrant communities in Texas to defend human rights, advocate for the shared prosperity of all communities, and protect ourselves from exactly the type of baseless attacks we’re experiencing today from Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
When Governor Abbott enacts unconstitutional laws that suppress the value of our vote and diminish the political power our forebears spent decades fighting for, our values and mission require us to speak out. Now, that same intervention has drawn the attention of Texas’s vindictive attorney general, Ken Paxton, who is trying to terrorize and dismantle immigrant rights, faith organizations, voting rights and reproductive health nonprofits in Texas.
Attorney General Paxton has pursued a series of failed attempts to silence organizations like ours that are simply trying to improve the lives of our neighbors. He is abusing the power of his office to retaliate against immigrant rights groups that object to Texas’ virulent anti-immigrant agenda. He hopes to make an example of small nonprofits and scare our allies from speaking out in the future. Paxton has even gone as far as targeting faith-based organizations that view their humanitarian service to immigrant communities as a natural extension of their faith. None of these investigations and lawsuits are rooted in fact or sound legal arguments. That’s why Paxton keeps losing in court. We anticipate these attacks will continue, but we will not be deterred. In the United States of America, we do not back down to bullies.
There is no justification for AG Paxton, who himself has been under criminal investigation, to cravenly abuse his power to harm Texans. If his efforts succeed, Paxton and his allies will take this precedent and weaponize it against any nonprofit organization brave enough to challenge the extremist agenda of Governor Abbott and AG Paxton. This is an existential moment for civil society in the state of Texas.
We will not be deterred by malevolent, unfounded retaliation and scare tactics. We will continue to fight these baseless attacks and do the critical and necessary work to secure a better future for all of our communities.
America’s Voice
Immigration Hub
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
National Immigration Law Center
United We Dream