In a press conference on Monday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) said that he will represent any immigrant who faces deportation after seeking help during Tropical Storm Harvey. Turner stated that there is absolutely no reason any individual shouldn’t call for help.
“I and others will be the first ones to stand up with you,” said Turner. “If you need help and someone comes and they require help, and then for some reason, then somebody tries to deport them, I will represent them myself, okay?”
The mayor of Houston said all individuals affected by the storm should take advantage of the services offered to them. Last week, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies made it clear that their top priority would be saving lives.
“Routine noncriminal immigration enforcement operations will not be conducted at evacuation sites, or assistance centers such as shelters or food banks,” the agencies said. “The laws will not be suspended, and we will be vigilant against any effort by criminals to exploit disruptions caused by the storm.”
Mayor Turner also defended his choice not to put in place an evacuation order, citing the millions of people in his city as a reason. The storm made landfall Friday as a Category hurricane, claiming at least eight deaths so far.
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