At about 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, about 20,000 Houstonians gathered in Ervan Chew Park at 4502 Dunlavy St., to attend the “A Day Without Immigrants” protest in response to recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump to highlight the important roles that immigrants play in our communities.
This event was organized by the civil rights association Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha, or “Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight.”
“Come speak out. Make your voice heard,” FIEL writes in an Instagram post announcing the protest.
The protesters marched throughout Montrose, arrived at Hermann Park, and marched back to Ervan Chew Park which could be seen with flags of various Hispanic-American countries, including Mexico. Protestors also carried picket signs that wrote, “Para mis padres’ que vinieron sin nada y me dieron todo,” or “For my parents who came with nothing and gave me everything.”
Although the protest route itself covered about 1.3 miles, the protest temporarily shut down a few intersections, including one at Richmond Avenue. The protest lasted about six-and-a-half hours, wrapping up at about 9:30 p.m. Toward the end of the protest, Houstonians filled up all five bridges above Highway 59 while vehicular passersby blared their horns in solidarity.
Some passengers cheered on the crowd from their cars, waving Mexican flags out of their windows. The protests are a response to one of the many executive orders President Trump signed on his first day in office. One titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” allows the government to employ agencies such as ICE to detain and deport undocumented immigrants in large numbers.
“…It is the policy of the United States to achieve the total and efficient enforcement of [immigration] laws, including through lawful incentives and detention capabilities,” Section 2 of the order states.
Thanks to FIEL Houston, the peaceful protest empowered Houstonians to assemble and exercise their civil liberty, allowing their voices to be heard on a national stage.
