Posted on 12/24/2016 7:53:43 AM PST by a fool in paradise
In the wake of the presidential election, Mayor Sylvester Turner is taking steps to promise undocumented immigrants or newly arrived refugees that he will strive to keep them safe and respect their rights in Houston. The election of a certain someone, whom he did not name, will not change Houston's commitment to welcoming all walks of life and valuing diversity, Turner pledged at a press conference Monday morning.
To demonstrate this pledge, Turner has created the Office of New Americans, to help immigrants and refugees integrate into their new communities and access services they may need. He has also launched a new task force, made up of organizations such as United We Dream, that will put together a list of recommendations as to how Houston can help its vast immigrant population feel safer. Amid national xenophobic rhetoric from politicians such as President-elect Donald Trump, Turner said Houston will aggressively go after anyone who commits hate crimes against marginalized populations.
The task force, called Welcoming Houston, also has a list of hotlines on its website that immigrants can contact if they ever feel threatened or victimized.
"In the wake of the recent election, many members of our community are asking whether they will continue to have a place in our great city. They fear for themselves, their children and their communities," Turner said. "We cannot ignore those realities. ... I want to be very clear: The City of Houston that existed prior to the election, that welcomed you to this city, that rejoiced in your diversity — that city still exists today. I intend to do everything within my power to respect you, to protect you, and to serve you as mayor."
Houston Independent School District Superintendent Richard Carranza also promised parents and students that they will never have to fear HISD inquiring about students' immigration status or allowing immigration raids at school — that, "when you come to school, you are coming to a safe haven, and we will protect your rights." Likewise, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said HPD officers have no business identifying undocumented immigrants or turning them over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and so immigrants should never be afraid to contact police.
Because the policies were starting to sound awfully similar to the definition of a sanctuary city — a municipality that refuses to enforce federal immigration law among its citizens — reporters afterward addressed the elephant in the room: Would Turner consider officially designating Houston a sanctuary city?
Things got awkward.
A sanctuary city is, by definition, a place where undocumented immigrants can freely go about their lives without fear of prosecution or deportation by local authorities. Despite President-elect Donald Trump's threat to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, mayors of New York and Los Angeles — the two most populous sanctuary cities in the country — have not backed down from their pledges to protect their undocumented immigrants. In Texas, cities that have even gotten close to calling themselves sanctuary cities (none currently exist) received a similar threat from Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott, in Trumpian style, also announced on Twitter November 27 that he will "sign a law that bans sanctuary cities. Also I've already issued an order cutting funding to sanctuary cities."
Yes. I'm going to sign a law that bans sanctuary cities. Also I've already issued an order cutting funding to sanctuary cities. #txlege https://t.co/uYXa2QFrvE
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 28, 2016
So perhaps it is no surprise politically, then, when Turner snubbed reporters' sanctuary city questions.
Asked again, more directly, whether he will consider officially designating Houston a sanctuary city, Turner said: "It is a welcoming city. And that is the message I want to emphasize."
United We Dream representative Oscar Hernandez told the Houston Press afterward that using those two words is not necessarily as important as the policies and visions Turner announced Monday, and the public should put more energy into holding Turner accountable for sticking to those promises.
Still, at least one Houstonian at the press conference Monday was upset by Turner's refusal to even utter the words. Yelling from the crowd, he told Turner to stop "cowering" from using the language in a spontaneous monologue that prompted Turner's security detail to step forward near the podium.
And with that, the press conference was over.
Undocumented immigrants? I think the Mayor should use the term “illegal aliens”.
“Turner has created the Office of New Americans, to help immigrants and refugees integrate into their new communities and access services they may need.”
“access services they may need” -— taxpayer money
and the Citizens can get stuffed and pay the extra money needed to protect the Illegals
And this "whom he did not name" is going to make you pay for your defiance.
Spanish language public schools.
Legal immigrants should have nothing to worry about. Criminal aliens should be deported.
Personally, I’ve never heard of INS raiding a school. I think it was W. W. inJustice that declared we had to educate all children whether they are illegal or not.
They have documents. Falsified documents including driver’s license, but they have documents.
Trespassers is a more appropriate term.
We should overload their phone lines with oops! - “wrong number” (s).
Imagine the outrage if the police bothered to arrest those with outstanding warrants when they went to go vote (Democrat).
But this city is infested with Democrat corruption and the new DA was funded by George Soros.
There will be no prosecution of the protected voters class.
Illegal aliens
They don’t have “rights”
If he protects illegals, arrest him.
how about protecting our LEGAL citizen’s rights not to be fleeced for billions of dollars by ILLEGAL Immigrants?
Immigrants cost this country anywhere between $400 BILLION dollars and $600 BILLION dollars every year (some estimate even more when all is said and done)
What gives this mayor the right to demand that hard working AMERICANS pay the bill of about $600 BILLION dollars every single year? How would the mayor like it if the people of texas demanded that HE pay for their expenses?
Let’s enforce some diversity by jailing him, declare the city guilty of intolerance and hate crimes against Americans, and install a law-abiding mayor until the city returns to law and order.
Sadly, these cities including their illegals will vote Democrat no matter what penalties you enforce. It’s rather obvious many cities are in the control of foreign invaders.
As long as Trump shuts off federal funding I am okay with that.
I will work with my state representatives to shut off state funding.
Let Huston collapse.
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