The Houston metropolitan area is home to 1.6 million immigrants, one-third of whom are legal permanent residents. Nearly a third are undocumented. State and local officials in Texas are amplifying anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, forcing Texan immigrants to contend with hostility and punitive measures that criminalize them, limit their access to information, and restrict their protections against deportation. With a smaller services infrastructure than other cities that boast significant immigrant populations, immigrant groups in the Houston area have had to rely on a high level of coordination and collaboration to respond effectively to the high demand for services, especially deportation defense. During this site visit at BakerRipley, you will gain insight into the ways in which community partners collaborate and learn about their strategies for addressing community needs in their particular local context.
Hosts:
- Kate Chapman, Immigration Attorney, BakerRipley
- Jade Flores, Co-Director, La Unidad 11
- Elizabeth “Chiqui” Sanchez Kennedy, Executive Director, Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project
- Moderated by Meghna Goswami, Program Director, Houston Endowment