Members of Texas Advocates for Justice (TAJ), ICE Fuera de Austin (IFA), Mujeres Luchadoras (ML), and Grassroots Leadership will gather hundreds of formerly incarcerated community members, their families, and advocates from Central Texas and the Houston metropolitan area.

Those attending the rally include community members impacted by incarceration and immigration detention; and see these issues as interconnected and rooted in systems of oppression and exploitation.

Those formerly incarcerated, deported, and their families demand that communities impacted by criminalization, deportation, and incarceration policies be consulted in a meaningful way when policies are written, amended, or enacted. Legislative visits are scheduled in order for directly impacted people to advocate for towards 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.

“Those of us who are impacted need our voices to be heard,” said Nikki Luellen, organizer for Texas Advocates for Justice, a network of formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones. “We’re in this fight together, and we must be a key part in ending this system of modern-day slavery called mass incarceration.”

The rally will also include 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, including including Mano Amiga, Woori Juntos, Statewide Leadership Council, BRAVE communities, and more.