Portland DSA resolutely denounces the political coercion by Texas State police of DSA member and Austin City Council candidate Misael Ramos, who was wrongfully arrested the morning of September 26. Ramos had recently attended a protest decrying ICE brutality, particularly the violence against Venezuelan immigrant Wilber Rafael Garces Perez who still remains critically injured after being shot by immigration police.
Misael is one of many people in Texas being targeted for exercising their free speech in rightfully condemning state violence against the immigrant community. What we’re seeing is a racheting up of state repression, now targeting citizens and socialist political candidates.
We will stand by our people, immigrants and poor alike, against this violence. Portland DSA demands the charges be dropped against Misael and that Wilber be released to his family. We also echo calls by DSA to the following:
Now is the time for an escalation of demands, not cowardice or inaction. We can and must fight back, at every level of power we hold. Therefore, we further demand:
Austin City Council and ALL Texas cities and counties must push back against unconstitutional state laws, reintroduce Sanctuary City policies, and CEASE and REFUSE any and all collaboration on immigration enforcement;
The Texas state legislature must REPEAL state laws that prevent cities from governing themselves (like SB 4 (2017), SB 4 (2023), SB 8, HB 1900, and HB 2127) and return local control to local governments;
The governor must END Operation Lone Star and use the billions of wasted taxpayer dollars to fund communities instead;
Texas cities and counties must BAN all AI surveillance tech like automated license plate readers (ALPRs) across the state that are used DAILY to track and arrest our community members, provided through contracts with Flock, Axon, and other companies;
The federal government must HALT all deportations now and reunite all the families who have been forcibly separated;
We must ABOLISH the current violent immigration enforcement system and instead establish a new system that includes a meaningful pathway to citizenship for all those who call the United States home. Abolish ICE. Abolish CBP. Abolish DHS.
No one is free until everyone is free.
In solidarity,
Portland DSA