DILLEY, Texas – The League of United Latin American Citizens called for the release of all children being held at immigration detention centers Sunday.
“They are not criminal aliens,” said David Cruz, LULAC national communications director. “They’re just kids who held onto their mother’s hand or their father’s hand.”
It comes after 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were released from the South Texas Family Residential Center.
The league said it has received numerous calls from family members of those being detained in the facility, and said many describe “questionable” to “cruel” treatment.
“We got to continue the fight,” said Roman Palomares, LULAC national president. “We got to have all of the children released.”
Around 100 people gathered outside the detention center, calling for reforms in U.S. immigration enforcement.
“This is not the America we all know and really support,” Cruz said. “I know we may not have the same party label, but this is really not about party politics; it’s about human decency.”
Eligio Guerrero, the vice president of LULAC Chapter 682 in Seguin, said they need more people to use their voice to advocate for change and for elected officials to enact it.
“Sometimes if feels like (elected officials are) not doing much for the communities,” Guerrero said, “so they really need to step up and pass some legislation to stop this.”
Palomares said there are plans for drastic increases in detention centers, and wants people to speak out against more centers opening.
“Twenty-three more centers are going to open up, and they want to house 80,000 more people,” Palomares said, citing a Minneapolis news report. “We need to stand up and put a stop to this.”
Protester Elizabeth Jolly said she hopes speaking up publicly and loudly will help lawmakers to move forward with empathy.
“What’s going on is wrong. Everyone is human, we’re all humans,” Jolly said. “We’re not better than another because we were born here or not born here. And at the end of the day, we need to be there for each other.”
KSAT has reached out to ICE and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, for comment. This story has been updated once a response is received.
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