Protesters demand the changes Obama promised

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EL PASO, Texas — As President Barack Obama addressed the troops in Ft. Bliss Tuesday morning, protest groups gathered here to voice disappointment with the lack of change they say was promised by candidate Obama.

Some 100 protesters lined up on Airway Boulevard between Montana and Boeing to demand immigration reform. (Raymundo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

Some 100 protesters lined up on Airway Boulevard between Montana and Boeing to demand immigration reform. (Raymundo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

“I’m out here because we were promised immigration reform,” said Delia Barra, a member of Red Fronteriza, the organization that headed the protest.

Some 100 protesters lined up on Airway Boulevard between Montana and Boeing, just across from the airport Marriott at 11 a.m. just as heat waves began to rise from the sidewalk.  As the Sun City blazed down on their heads, bottled water was distributed down the long line of protest posters and US flags.

“I joined for the reason that I don’t want families to be separated [due to deportation]. And so I’m here fighting, fighting even with the sun,” said Barra.  She referred to the many cases of family breakups that occur when undocumented immigrants are deported back to their motherland and forced to leave their U.S.-born family behind.

María Gonzalez stood in the protest line holding up her daughter’s medical records and a letter addressed to Obama. “I’ve been working for 15 years.  I am a single mother.  I’ve worked taking care of the elderly and now I work cleaning houses.  I’ve even worked cleaning other people’s yards.  Whatever I can find,” said Gonzalez.  Her youngest daughter suffers from epileptic attacks and can no longer walk or talk.  She was recently released from the hospital and is now fed through a tube in her stomach.

Protester were opposed to the separation of families due to deportation. (Raymundo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

Protester were opposed to the separation of families due to deportation. (Raymundo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

“I keep hoping for him to keep his promise,” Gonzalez said.  She hopes for immigration reform in order to provide her 19-year-old daughter with the medical attention she needs.  “We keep trusting and waiting to be heard by the president,” said Gonzalez.

President Obama’s visit for that day was not designed for community outreach.  Instead, he spoke only to troops at Ft. Bliss.  According to the White House blog, his flight into the El Paso area was meant to welcome back and thank the troops who served in the Iraq War.

His landing on Biggs Field makes President Obama the 12th president to visit the El Paso area.  Although its proximity to the U.S./Mexico border makes the city ideal for reviewing international relations, the president did not visit the inner city or mention the border in his speech to the men and women in uniform.

The members of Red Fronteriza protested Obama’s lack of hands-on effort and commitment to the issue that affects them — immigration reform.  They chanted for hours to the beat of midday lunch traffic, holding up posters that questioned recent attempts at federal border enforcement.  Cardboard signs displayed messages such as, “No National Guard at the border, No need to bring more disorder,” and, “Border enforcement has become a profit!  For politicians/corporations. Don’t trade communities for power!”

The U.S. House of Representatives approved $600 million in supplemental funding for border enforcement in bill HR 6080 early in August.  Not long after that, the El Paso based organization, Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), commissioned an independent public opinion poll to find out how border communities felt about their safety.

"No National Guard at the border, No need to bring more disorder," reads in some of the protesters' signs. (Raymundo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

"No National Guard at the border, No need to bring more disorder," reads in some of the protesters' signs. (Raymundo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

The poll surveyed people from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California and found that 86.5% of residents felt safe driving in their neighborhood during their regular daily activities. (Follow link for more details: first independent public opinion poll)

Protesters held signs that challenged the threat of violence on the border.  “¿Dónde esta la inseguridad? I feel safe on the border,” read the posters. They cracked jokes between chants.  When not calling out for immigration reform and better fiscal responsibility, protesters chanted for better shade and water under their breath (What do we want? Shade! When do we want it? Now!).

Often listed as one of the safest cities in the nation, El Paso’s low crime rate contrasts sharply with the protracted violence across the border in its sister city, Ciudad Juarez.  Still, the federal government has decided to focus on border militarization rather than reform.

Sandra Carmona, a member of Red Fronteriza, stood at the edge of the protest line huddled under an umbrella with another demonstrator.  “When you go into a store to buy groceries, they don’t ask for papers.  They just take your money and charge you taxes,” said Carmona.

6 thoughts on “Protesters demand the changes Obama promised

  1. I can fix all your problems; Fill out the forms to become a legal citizen and wait. Someday, it will be a while, you may be lucky enough to get the PRIVILEDGE of becoming an American. But first you must get in line.

  2. Guess what!Obamas a liar!Or maybe he promised you something you cant have.Go home and make your on Country pay your medical bills.

  3. Millions of immigrants have come legally; these people want to get away with breaking the law. Sorry, we believe in the Rule of Law in this country — that’s why it’s better than your country. Go home, apply for legal entry. Amnesty is never going to happen.

  4. To understand the mentality behind these people explains it all. They don’t think our laws apply to them at all. They are using the mis-interpretation of the 14th amendment, as to their having given birth within our country’s borders, as an excuse not to be deported even if they are illegal and their children share citizenship with their parents. They bring their medically impaired children here to get free treatment at our expense because their own country doesn’t care. They protest in the streets because that is what the leftist communists do in their own countries. They don’t want the national guard or the border patrol to enforce our immigration laws because that would take control out of their hands. It is an afront to the Black American culture to claim civil rights concerns on blatant illegality issues. Lastly, they aren’t very intelligent.

  5. Who cares what they want? I want Obama to help Americans back to work..fat chance that will ever happen!

  6. Although public and aggressive demonstrations for or against a cause are very important. This issue of immigration reform is a top priority for us but as long as we have to go through our democratic process to get legislation enacted, ultimately only the number of votes cast during elections can move the process forward. As long as one of the political parties fans the flames of anti-Mexican racists, President Obama can not do it alone. All the pro-immigration reform groups must unite to get out the Latino vote. It is hard difficult door to door work to register voters and then hard work to actually get those voters to the polls to vote. Yelling and chanting gets headlines but no votes. If we voted equal to our population we would have already taken over Texas government. Our enemies know we won’t vote… Let’s get with it!

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