wide array of community leaders and organizations have spoken out in opposition to the Arizona-style, anti-immigrant House Bill 9, Senate Bill 9 in the first special session of the 82nd Texas Legislature (2011), and/or the former House Bill 12 which was defeated in the regular session of the 82nd Texas Legislature (2011). All of these bills contain essentially the same provisions, which have drawn opposition from the following, among others:
Law Enforcement Leaders
Austin Police Chief, Art Acevedo
El Paso County Sheriff, Richard Wiles
El Paso Police Chief, Gregory Allen
Dallas County Sheriff, Lupe Valdez
Houston Police Chief, Charles McClelland
San Antonio Police Chief, William McManus
McAllen Police Chief, Victor Rodriguez
Hidalgo County Sheriff, Guadalupe Trevino
Fort Worth Police Chief, Jeffrey Halstead
Read, e.g., June 10, 2011 Police Chiefs’ letter to SB 9 sponsor Senator Williams
Religious Leaders
Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops
Bishop Joe Vasquez, Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
Bishops of the United Methodist Churches of Texas
Bishop James Dorff, Southwest Texas Conference of United Methodist Church
Bishop Ray Tiemann, Southwest Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Texas Impact
Rabbi Alan Freedman, Temple Beth Shalom
Rabbi Neil Blumofe, Congregation Agudas Achim
Rev. David Boyd, St. David’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Al Rodriguez, St. John’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Tom VandeStadt, Austin Interfaith and Congregational Church of Austin
Rev. Gilberto Avila, Hispanic Evangelical Minister Association of East Texas
Rev. Agustin Reyes, Primera Iglesia Bautista, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Texas Baptists
Fr. Stephen Jasso, Roman Catholic Diocese of Ft. Worth
Read about religious leaders’ press conference
Read and listen to story about opposition from conservative Hispanic evangelical pastors
Watch testimony by Republican pastor William Ross Fowler
Business Groups
Texas Association of Business
Texas Employers for Immigration Reform
Texas Restaurant Association
San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Read about opposition from prominent Republican business leaders’
Prominent Voices within the Republican Party
Rev. Mark Gonzales, founder Hispanic Action Network
Read about opposition from Republican lawmaker and business donors
Read about opposition from Latino elected officials and Republican advisors
Watch testimony by Republican activist Norman Adams against the bills
Watch testimony by Republican and evangelical pastor William Ross Fowler
Read about opposition from prominent Republican business leaders’
Civil Rights and Community Organizations
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
ACLU of Texas
Equal Justice Center (Read EJC testimony against HB 9/SB 9)
Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
Border Network for Human Rights
Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) – Texas
League of Women Voters of Texas
NAACP – Texas
Korean American Association of Greater Austin
American Gateways
Anti-Defamation League
Coalition for Immigration Reform
American Immigration Lawyers Association, TX-OK-NM Chapter
University Leadership Initiative
