SAN ANTONIO – A door-to-door campaign brought controversy to a Southwest Side neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation, an organization in San Antonio, dropped off flyers about people’s immigration rights to their front door. They also brought flyers to businesses and explained to people what their rights are if an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shows up.
The effort comes just days after Guatemalan children were picked up over the holiday weekend and faced with potential deportation before a federal judge stepped in.
While some people like the idea of a door-to-door campaign, others said the group should not be doing this.
“I’m very happy with ICE in our neighborhood,” Jenna, a Southwest Side resident, said.
On the other hand, Southwest Side resident Linda and her family agree with what the PSL organization is doing and oppose ICE arrests.
“They’re not hardened criminals, they’re good hard workers,” Linda said. “All just going to be for a better job, a better life.”
Both Linda and Jenna live in the Nogalitos area, where people from the PSL were door-knocking on Wednesday. Ilse Martinez, a member of the PSL organization, said they’re just trying to educate people.
“Know what your rights are in case ICE does come, because they do have rights and they can’t fight against ICE,” Martinez said.
Nicholas with the PSL said, “We’re building a community that wants to prevent ICE from being able to take our community members.”
People like Linda are happy with the organization going door-to-door to inform people of their rights when it comes to ICE.
“It’s nice that we do have people that are showing them the right way to go,” Linda said.
However, others are not happy about it.
“I think that’s wrong,” Jenna said. “You shouldn’t be doing that; this is law enforcement. … I’m getting what I voted for.”
Lorraine, a woman walking with Jenna, also disagreed with how the PSL is operating and is in favor of how ICE operates.
“We have to clean up our country because it’s been ransacked,” Lorraine said. “It’s been taken advantage of by other countries.”
It’s a divide in the neighborhood.
“It’s just not right,” Linda said. “It’s very disheartening for the people that have to live like that,” Linda said, referring to people who are worried about ICE arrests.
Regardless, the PSL organization plans to bring these flyers to San Antonio homes every other Wednesday for the foreseeable future.
“If you are in the community and you’re working class, if you’ve built a family, if you live in this community, you belong here,” Nicholas said.
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