Local organization to hold rally against Arizona legislation
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Immigration rights activists in Austin will rally this weekend against the Arizona immigration law.
The
Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition plans to hold a rally this Saturday from 3-5 p.m. near the Texas Capitol.
Their demonstration will be part of a national day of action against Arizona Senate Bill 1070. The law requires law enforcement to determine the immigration status of anyone a law enforcement official suspects of being in the country illegally.
Those at the rally said the law and similar laws in other states will lead to widespread racial profiling.
"The laws are out there and they're harmful. It's not a good law. It's a harmful law," LULAC District 12 Director Marcelo Taflya said. "So instead of being harmful, what they should do is work on getting the legislature — and I think that's really the intent of Arizona, really -- to get the national legislature, the federal government to move on immigration reform. I really do believe that."
Some Texas lawmakers have said they plan to introduce similar legislation here in Texas. Gov. Perry has said that such a law would not be right for Texas, and Austin City Council passed a boycott of Arizona in protest of the law.