The ACLU asked the Border Patrol to shut down its checkpoints in Texas Friday, saying illegal immigrants fleeing Hurricane Harvey shouldn’t have to worry about being nabbed.
“By keeping checkpoints open, the Border Patrol is putting undocumented people and mixed-status families at risk out of fear of deportations,” Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy at the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement.
The ACLU said past practice has been to nix the checks during storms, but the Border Patrol is refusing to do that this year.
Ms. Praeli said that was a “disgusting” decision, and hinted that she thought bigotry was a motive.
“Everyone, no matter the color of their skin or background, is worth saving,” she said.
