Immigrants, activists lobby for rights

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Dozens of undocumented workers came together with immigration activists on Thursday in Austin to lobby against legislation they say is unfairly targeting immigrants.

Coming from all parts of the state, they gathered at the State Capitol to protest bills being proposed in the Texas Legislature that include specialized drivers licenses and .

"We are here to make sure legislation does not get passed that hurts the immigrant community in Texas," said one of the volunteers from El Paso.

The bills that concern the activists were filed by Rep. Leo Berman, a staunch supporter of immigration reform.

"If nothing is done to curb illegal immigration in Texas, then I'll be running for Governor, too," said Berman.

The undocumented workers gathered in the Capitol cafeteria Thursday morning to get trained in talking with legislators and their staff. With talking points in hand, many who usually want to remain inconspicuous set out to make their voices heard.

"What affects one segment of the population affects us all," said Teodoro Aguiluz, a Houston activist.

One of the biggest concerns for Aguiluz is the new driver's license rule for non-citizens.

"This new license requirement opens the door to a lot of issues such as targeting people because of the way they look or their accents," said Aguiluz.

The group of activists are also working to keep in-state tuition for qualifying undocumented students and to remove employers sanctions. They said requiring employers to verify status may lead to a growth in off-the-books employment.

Rep. Berman has repeatedly said Texas is making the mistake in rewarding immigrants who break the law. He has filed several bills to reform immigration policies, including having all undocumented immigrants live in sanctuary cities.

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