SAN ANTONIO – Anti-ICE protests have remained peaceful in San Antonio, but one woman says she must continue to fight because of how personally the arrests have impacted her.
Marisela Islas is a wife and a mother. However, she’s having to rely on her sister to help take care of her children after her husband was deported.
“In December 2022, my husband’s visa was denied and he’s currently in Mexico,” Islas said.
Islas’s husband was deported under President Joe Biden’s Administration. She shared with KSAT that the Donald Trump Administration has only made it harder to get him back.
“[My lawyer was] going to help me bring him back the right way,” Islas said.
However, that never happened. Now, Islas is attending ‘Know Your Rights’ events like the Community Defense Workshop hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), to understand how to bring her husband back, legally.
“He does everything the right way,” Islas said. “He pays his taxes, he has his own business, all here in San Antonio, and to get treated like this, it’s not fair and it’s not right.”
Islas also said that her husband has never committed a crime and was initially brought to the U.S. as a minor by his parents.
“Something needs to be done. I need help,” Islas said.
Islas is not the only person who feels that the ICE arrests are unfair.
“My parents are immigrants, and I think it’s important to know what the community is going through,’ Ilse Martinez said.
“I’m trying to make sure my voice gets heard, make sure everyone gets heard,” Vicente said.
The workshop was specifically hosted ahead of a “No Kings” protest scheduled for June 14 to ensure the community is aware of what they are and are not legally required to do when interacting with ICE.
The protests nationwide have prompted Governor Greg Abbott to deploy the National Guard to San Antonio, stating that “Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles.”
“We encourage you to come out with your community because these protests are about love,” Jessica Solis said. “These protests are all about community. It’s not about hate. It’s not about crime.”
