Pedro Rivera is upsetting the mainstream media narrative of monolithic support among Hispanics for callous disregard for American immigration law.
“I’m an American citizen and I believe in the rule of law,” Rivera said. “And being Hispanic, I should not be granted special privilege in avoiding the law. We need officers to have all the tools available to them to keep us safe. That includes asking the question, when you’re being detained for a crime or being arrested for an offense, ‘ are you here illegally? Are you a US citizen?’”
Rivera is working with a new group called the Remembrance Project founded by Maria Espinosa, which works with families who have had members killed by illegal immigrants.
Espinoza’s new group, which isn’t exclusive to people of Hispanic origin, traveled to Austin last week and asked lawmakers to stop Texas cities, like Houston , from adopting their own immigration related policies. It’s not a new fight. The Texas Senate actually passed a similar measure in 2011. It prompted protests, then stalled before becoming state law. Espinoza says a lot has changed in four years.
“We have more Latinos who are behind this issue and also law enforcement,” she said. “We have (four) sheriffs who testified with us to remove sanctuary city policies.“
Legal Hispanic immigrants or longtime American citizes of Hispanic heritage can face the worst aspects of illegal immigration criminality. Like the 10 year old girl raped by a recent immigrant, these crimes tend to be overlooked by the mainstream media.
A message on the homepage of The Remembrance Project website reads: “We believe that America is exceptional. In our lives and in our country, America is the priority. As are Americans! Learn what you can do to stop the nonsense of ignoring laws and our US Constitution. Help stop public servants from placing other countries and non-citizens before our families. Join us to speak up for Latinos!”
