Tarrant change puts Hispanics at risk if they comment on jail immigration program

There are symbols of white oppression. And there are systems of white oppression. Last week, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court told us that only one of those is unwelcome in our community.

Commissioners took a long-overdue stand when they voted Tuesday to remove the Confederacy monument that has cast a dark shadow over the Tarrant County Courthouse for decades. But moments later, in a stunning display of hypocrisy, they voted to approve a measure that silences historically marginalized voices of color and alienates the most vulnerable: undocumented immigrants.

To help curb the spread of coronavirus over the last few months, the Commissioners Court has allowed residents to call in or submit comments online. Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley has remarked about the effectiveness of this approach and commended the level of civic engagement it fostered.

While such social distancing solutions have prevented our local hospital system from becoming overwhelmed by coronavirus, the pandemic is still dangerous. But commissioners voted on party lines to discontinue the practice of allowing virtual public participation.

If the pandemic still plagues Tarrant County, why the sudden reversal? It’s because on Tuesday, commissioners will vote on an issue that has drawn a large volume of public comment: renewal of Tarrant County’s voluntary 287(g) agreement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

The program uses local tax dollars and local law enforcement to perform federal deportation duties. Last year, commissioners held two meetings on renewal of the agreement. Whitley recently decided there will be only one meeting this year. His decision means less time for the community to learn the facts, ask questions and respond. Waybourn has yet to give a public presentation on the extent of the program and its costs for the previous year.

The county’s voluntary collusion with ICE through the 287(g) program disproportionately impacts the Hispanic community. Many will have to make a choice between engaging in the public process or protecting their health.

The requirement to speak in person on this issue is particularly egregious and punitive because Hispanics are the highest risk category for Coronavirus. They make up the overwhelming majority of total infections in Tarrant County and Texas.

It does not matter whether commissioners intended to silence undocumented immigrants and other historically marginalized individuals or raise their risk of COVID-19. The impact of this decision is indisputable: It will silence people of color and place them at risk of a potentially fatal illness in order to fulfill their civic duty. And the decision was supported only by the three white members of Commissioners Court. This is what white oppression looks like.

Whitley asserts that because County Commissioner J.D. Johnson is now attending the proceedings via video rather than phone, the Commissioners Court is essentially “back into the same environment we were before.” He contends that if the commissioner is present, the public should have to be, too.

But Johnson is not physically present – he is being allowed to protect his health by participating virtually. If that courtesy is not also extended to all members of the community on an issue which disproportionately impacts people of color, the court is sending a message that it values Johnson’s life more than the lives of black and brown people.

The timing of this change is suspicious because the 287(g) agreement has consistently been a contentious issue. It should make all Tarrant County residents wonder what changes to the “democratic process” Whitley will seek to limit public dissent when the people speak up about something.

Tarrant County may have removed a symbol of white oppression last week. But it is still operating under a system of institutionalized white oppression.

Jessica Ramirez, Sindy Mata and Gillermo Gomez are coordinators of ICE Out of Tarrant County, a coalition of organizations and community members working to end the county’s cooperation with the federal agency.