On Sunday, immigrant advocates announced that, from Monday, an immigration hotline will extend its hours to deal with the many issues faced by immigrants in Houston, including discrimination and detention. The hotline offers referrals to legal services and attorneys, and will now operate five days a week, from 09:00 to 17:00, according to the Immigrants’ Rights Hotline Town Hall organizers at southwest Houston’s Baker Ripley Neighborhood Center, held on Saturday.
The Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative legal director, Andrea Guttin, said that there was an enormous outcry following the travel ban announced by President Donald Trump, with a great deal of interest from the likes of airport people, volunteers, and the community, resulting in the opening of the hotline.
Accredited representatives of the Department of Justice and non-profit staff offer the free service, which is a collaboration between the Texas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Baker Ripley, Boat People SOS, the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, and Houston Volunteer Lawyers. Edgar Saldivar, a senior staff attorney with the Texas ACLU, stressed the need to stay informed to prevent the confusion of misinformation.
The community’s continued demand for the hotline has seen a growing number of places created where help can be given to callers. Guttin says that they are also hoping to connect people with community events and groups but that their current focus is on immigrants calling the hotline who have experienced constitutional violations.