Day packed with events led by those directly impacted by the criminal justice and immigration systems and will speak out on bills that directly impact their communities

AUSTIN, TEXAS— On January 27, 2023, Texas Advocates for Justice (TAJ), ICE Fuera de Austin (IFA), Mujeres Luchadoras (ML), and Grassroots Leadership gathered hundreds of formerly incarcerated community members, their families, and advocates from Central Texas and the Houston metropolitan area at the Texas State Capitol. The rally was led by those directly impacted by the criminal justice and immigration systems and was packed with performances and speeches from community leaders speaking out on bills that directly impact their communities.

“We had over 100 attendees at our rally and I felt our community be truly united,” said Sybil Sybille, organizer for Texas Advocates for Justice. “We are grateful for the support we received from legislators and community members who stand with us in our fight against the mass incarceration machine and in support of policies that value the lives, dignity, and rights of our communities.”

The attendees, who included community members impacted by incarceration and immigration detention as well as allies, demanded that communities impacted by criminalization, deportation, and incarceration policies be consulted in a meaningful way when policies are written, amended, or enacted. Legislative visits were scheduled earlier in the day in order for directly impacted people to advocate for shutting down youth prisons, cutting off funding for $4+ billion Operation Lone Star, and our collective efforts to amend the Texas Constitution and abolish slavery once and for all.

The rally included a performance by the Northeast Early College High School Band, spoken word performances from TAJ members, and a tabling event with local community and advocacy organizations.

"Advocacy Day is such an important day where our community has the opportunity to share their personal stories on why they’re impacted, and that there is still much work to be done," said Annette Price, Co-Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership. "We encourage members of the community to continue to support our efforts and to take action to end mass incarceration and deportation in Texas and everywhere else."