Day Without Immigrants Boycott Having An Impact In North Texas
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The nationwide Day Without Immigrants movement is being felt in North Texas. Organizers are encouraging immigrants to boycott their jobs, businesses and keep their children out of school. The purpose is to show how migrants are crucial to the economy and American way of life.
The call for protests and boycotts comes in response to President Donald Trump's policy proposals and crackdown on immigration. Trump has pledged to increase deportation of undocumented immigrants, build a wall along the Mexican border, and ban people from certain majority-Muslim countries from coming into the U.S.
Carlos Quintanilla of Accion America in North Texas says there's no marching or loud protesting involved. All that's required to participate is to stay home and don't shop.
"We stay at home. We read a book. We share time with our family. We celebrate love and peace with them. We talk about the importance of immigration. We talk to them about the realities of what is going on," he said.
While the day of protest encourages that children stay home from school in solidarity, some Dallas parents said that was a hard decision to make.
One mother said she considered it but chose to take her son to kindergarten. "School is important for him and I know if I don't bring him to school, the way his routine is, would throw him off balance," she said.
The mother said if people really wanted the day to make an impact that everyone, regardless of race, would stay home and boycott.
But the Day Without Immigrants is being felt in North Texas schools. Administrators with the Fort Worth Independent School District report elementary school attendance rates are down about 35-percent.
The boycott also had an impact on the airwaves. La GRANDE 107.5's morning show, Chiquilin Todas Las Mananas, was not on the air today to show solidarity with the immigrant community. Instead, the radio hosts took the show on the road and broadcast via Facebook Live from the streets of North Texas. One of their stops was at El Rancho restaurant, which is closed today to also demonstrate support. The show will return to the air tomorrow.
As for boycotting work, economic experts say staying home could really hit people in low wage jobs hard and as a result could affect the results of the movement.
(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)